The ties that bind
by Aeso3
Summary: Two individuals, complete strangers in every sense of the word, leading completely different lives will find their fates intertwined with each other and form an unbreakable bond stronger than any ties to blood. A bond that will change their world. The journey to get there, however, will not be an easy one.
1. Chapter 1

It was a strange phenomenon to experience. To see but not see, to feel, hear and even taste yet not truly experience those things at the same time. At least it was to the boy who was feeling all those things. He couldn't really make out what was really going on, let alone comprehend his situation. He could see and remember the faces of people who he knew were important to him yet they felt fleeting like it was a dream. Yes, it had to be a dream, for what else could explain how he was feeling right now. He could not, or did not understand what was going on or how it happened nor could he remember what he was supposed to be being.

It felt like he was forcefully pulled apart from where he was supposed to be; as if he was missing a piece of himself, unable to truly feel whole. This dream like state was beginning to frustrate the boy. He was like an infant, helpless inside the womb, unable to move or make sense of the world around him except through dreams of vivid images that gave him no ideas. However, the worst feeling he got from this was the feeling of isolation. Where he was, he did not know but it was like a shapeless, formless blank white void. From this place, he could somehow see it all: who he was, where he came from, his companions who cared for him and helped him form his own person. Perhaps he was trapped in his own head.

His name was Laphicet, part of a race called malakhim; that much was certain. He was once bound to the exorcist Teresa, before being kidnapped by a therion named Velvet Crowe, who would eventually give him his name and help him break out of his empty shell so he could have a will of his own. There were others as well. Rokurou, a friendly if strange Daemon from a far off land, Eizen, a no-nonsense pirate and fellow malak trapped with the reapers' curse who nevertheless held to his own conviction strong and proud, Magilou, an eccentric, crafty witch alongside her personal malak Bienfu and finally Eleanor, another exorcist and his new vessel, a very kind if a little uptight girl. These things were becoming clearer to him. He was starting to remember the many adventures they had; the fond memories that he would cherish.

And yet, they were just that: memories. They showed visions of what had happened, of what he had seen and experienced but at the same time his companions were not here with him at the present and at the end of it all, he was all alone on the empty white expanse. Another thing that was bugging him was the fact that these memories were all events that had happened yet they never seemed to reach a conclusion. He couldn't remember what had happened to him or the fate of the others afterwards. It was all hazy like they were repressed inside of his subconsciousness.

But just as he was starting to feel like he would be trapped in this eternal void forever, he began to hear the faint sound of voices in the distance. They were barely audible at first, being more akin to loud whispers, yet with each passing second, they grew louder and louder. Laphicet couldn't make out what they were saying but they sounded like children playing. Laughter filled the white void with the voices of kids playing around until they too eventually stopped as one of the children shouted to the others, seemingly out of a need to tell the others about something of importance. Suddenly, the voices of the other children returned as audible whispers and murmurs as if discussing amongst themselves. But alas, it seems it wouldn't matter much as he would still be trapped in this drea-

"Hey! Wake up"

Laphicet felt a sudden jolt of continuous shaking as though he could actually feel a true sensation for once. Everything turned dark too as the white void disappeared and it felt like he could move his body again. Or at the very least move his eyes as he slowly opened them. His vision was blurry at best and it caused him great discomfort as the sunlight penetrated through his eyes. He could see blurry images of small figures surrounding him and staring at him curiously.

"Where do you think he came from?" one of them asked; hearing those words Laphicet thought that at the very least it seems his ears were still working fine, which gave him a slight relief. "He looks like he's hurt pretty badly, maybe his home got hit by Grimm or the White Fang" another one answered. _Grimm? White Fang? _Laphicet had never heard of those terms before. "So, what should we do with him?" a small voice whimpered. "We should take him to back home before it gets worse for him. They can help him out" a louder, more confident voice uttered. "Yeah, let's take him there now" another one agreed, " C'mon help me carry him."

If what they said was true, then he must've been in a pretty bad shape when they found him. It probably explained why he was trapped in a coma like state and was unable to move. It would also explain the discomfort when opening his eyes or the numbness in his body, the implication of pain was something he now dreaded should his other sensations return. Fortunately, it seems it wouldn't be happening for now as he immediately fell back into unconsciousness as the children began lifting him up.

* * *

This time however, he would not slip into the eternal nothingness as he blacked out. For once, he could finally feel something. And not just the confusing sensation that he previously experienced, but something genuine again. He felt weak and tired, an effect that had taken over his entire body as exhaustion subdued him. Yet, it was mitigated by the touch of something soft, light and smooth from the back of his head and neck all the way to his feet. As he slowly regained more consciousness, Laphicet opened his eyes and found himself staring at some sort of ceiling and it was then that he realized he was in a bed of some sorts.

Using his still weak hands to support his weight as he raised himself to a seated position, the young malak was overwhelmed by the sensory input his brain was trying to register. It was a little bit too much to bear at first: to see, hear and touch the world around him for the first time in what felt like an eternity, but eventually his eyes, ears and skin became accustomed to them, although his body still felt weak and some parts like his back , shoulders and legs were aching with pain. As he looked around, he could see that he was wearing what looked like a plain shirt that felt a little big for him. His arms were covered in bandages while the lower half of his torso was hidden beneath a thick blanket. He felt like something was covering his forehead as well, which if he could guess, were probably bandages.

Aside from his own body, as he looked around, Laphicet saw rows of beds neatly placed beds just like the one he was on in a moderate sized and dimly lit room with one door. At this moment, he could only let out a sigh as he stared towards one of the four windows, wondering who the residence of this place was and what they were doing. The room itself had a pleasant aroma, though the strong smell of sterility was present as well which overpowered his olfactory senses. Uncertainty crept over him: it wasn't typical of him to be unsure of what was happening or where he was, but this time he was. Not knowing who saved him and where they took him in made him even more anxious. However, he did hear the sound of children before he blacked out, so he could safely assume that the children lived here as well. This was further supported by pages of colorful drawings plastered across the walls. As it were, Laphicet knew that there was only so much guessing that he could do, and with his weak body, he was in no position to move around and so resigned himself to patiently wait for the arrival of his rescuers to give him some answers.

As fate would have it, this anticipation did not take too long as Laphicet began hear the sound of footsteps coming in from one direction towards him, getting louder and louder. Eventually they stopped before the door as it slowly creaked open and from it, emerged a figure.

"Oh, I see you're awake" the figure said with genuine surprise. The voice was feminine and as she came forward Laphicet could discern the details of her features. She seemed of be of decent height for an adult with a slender frame. The woman wore a light-colored robe that consisted of white and blue highlights and covered her entire body, as if to show modesty. Most of her head was covered with some sort of headdress with only a small glimpse of her hair, implying that she must be some sort of priestess or cleric for some religious organization, something that Laphicet thought upon as he observed her. Despite this, as she came closer, Laphicet noticed how young she looked from the soft facial features and glimpses of her amber hair slipping through the headdress that he could see.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asked, gently putting the palm of her hand on top of his forehead. Her hand felt soft and a sense of warmth emanated from it. "I-I'm feeling okay, just a little bit tired. That's all" Laphicet replied. "Well, that is to be expected. You were unconscious and bruised up" she smiled letting go of her hand from his forehead, "but it seems your fever has subsided".

"What is your name dear?" she asked. Despite her youthful appearance, she had very motherly demeanor based on the body language she displayed which made him feel comfortable and put him at ease. She reminded him somewhat of Eleanor. Certainly, there were major differences, one of the most prominent being that he didn't fully know her yet though it seemed likely she and Eleanor would have gotten along quite well. "Laphicet" he answered.

"Laphicet?" she said, almost looking puzzled by it, "a fine name, though certainly a unique one. I've never heard of it before. Did your parents give you that name" she continued, almost as if she was really curious about it? The question, however, only left the boy stunned and speechless as he sat in silence before lowering his head and shaking it. The woman was taken aback by his answer though she quickly recovered, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked those things" she acknowledged his silent answer, as if she completely understood what he meant with an apologetic and regretful tone. To be fair, he wanted to tell her that he was a malak and thus was born through other means: a reincarnation of an unborn child in his case, but hesitated at the last second as he felt that it would needlessly complicate the situation. "It's okay. I didn't tell you about it, so there's nothing to be sorry about" the boy reassured, settling for playing along with her assumptions. The young woman came in closer to him before pulling him into a gentle hug, "I won't ask for details anymore my dear, but know that I'm here for you, as are others in this place". The embrace was surprising but the warmth of it was enough for him to lower his guard, for it brought back memories of his time with Velvet and the others. He didn't know how to really describe it to himself as he was lost in the moment but it felt good. "For now, you should rest until you've regained your strength" she said, slowly pulling away from him smiling "you may call me sister Valerie. I work here as a cleric and caretaker at this orphanage. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to tell me when I'm present, alright?"

"Alright" he answered back with a smile of his own. She slowly lowered him back down to a sleeping position before tucking his blanket back in to his upper half. "Good. Now get some rest Laphicet, I will return to check on you soon" the sister said as she made her way to the exit. As the door creaked shut, so did Laphicet shut his eyes, rested and content in knowing that he was in the hands of what seemed like decent people like her. At least for now.

* * *

A day had passed by and the young malak had almost made a full recovery. The nun Valerie had been his only contact with the world outside so far, feeding him and helping unwrap his bandages. Yet, there were a still a lot of things unaccounted for and he had many questions he needed answered. "Good morning Laphicet, how are you feeling today?" she greeted, making her way to him with a tray for food. "I feel a lot better Sister Valerie" Laphicet answered back, getting to a seated position. "That's good to hear" she said as she laid the tray on his lap, "there's something I want to show you but for now, have your breakfast first".

Laphicet stared at the food placed at his lap before digging in. It consisted of two small loaves of bread and a bowl of stew, the contents of which he did not know but it was more than enough to salivate him. As he dined on his breakfast, Valeria left the room before coming back after a few minutes with a small bag. "I see you've finished your food" she said taking the empty tray away from him while handing him the bag. "Umm, so what's this?" the boy asked. "These are the clothes you wore when we found you" she answered. Looking into the contents of the bag, Laphicet could indeed see that they were his: the robe, the leggings, the neckerchief, and even the bell collar he wore were there, fresh and in pristine condition. "We had them washed, ironed out and stitched as well" Valerie continued.

Laphicet face lit up and glowed upon hearing that, delighted to know that he still had some his old possession with him. "Wow, thank you so much, Sister Valerie!" he exclaimed. "It's quite alright" she answered with a smile, "now, get dressed and meet me outside the door. I believe it's time I showed you around " she continued as she left the room once again.

Minutes later, Laphicet emerged from the door wearing his normal clothes again; it would seem that he had made a full recovery and could walk perfectly fine as far as the nun could see. "Are you ready?" the nun asked to which the Malak answered with a firm nod. Acknowledging his reply, Valerie motioned for him to follow her. As he followed her through a large wooden hallway, he could see various images of children and possibly the clerics framed together and hung on the wall.

"Do you like them?' she asked, noticing his intense stares. "Yeah! These paintings look so real!" he exclaimed, to which Sister Valerie let out a small giggle. "These are not paintings silly, they're photographs" she explained. Laphicet tilted his head sideways and looked at her with confusion: for he had never even heard of the word photograph or what it even was. The nun was bewildered at his confusion, for through her point of view it would seem he had very little education or knowledge of the world around him_._ "Do you really not know what a photograph is, Laphicet? or is it that you don't even know what a camera to begin with?" she questioned him with a raised eyebrow, to which he answered by shaking his head and uttering "nuh uh". _It seems not having parents around has affected his education_ she thought, resting the palm of her hand on her forehead. "Very well, it seems we'll have a lot to teach you" she states with a sigh. Eventually, they turned towards a corridor leading to a moderate sized stairway. Going down the stairs, Laphicet could see a receptionist desk to his right side and a large door at the front. In front of the desk was a man who also wore robes of the same color pattern, with a short brown hair slicked back and a pair of spectacles, implying that he too must be a cleric.

"Ah! Sister Valerie, good morning!" he greeted, "and this must be our young guest" the man continued looking down towards Laphicet. "Laphicet, let me introduce you to Brother Gregory" she announced, "he looks after this place and the children like I do."

"Children?" the young Malak inquired. "Ah yes, of course, I've forgotten to mention where you are" she said with a tinge of guilt, "you're in an orphanage. The Solitus Home for Lost Children to be exact". _An orphanage? _He thought to himself: It would explain all of the beds, the pictures of the children and the colorful drawings he saw. "So….is this place anywhere near Midgand?" he inquired. "Midgand?" the nun and the cleric spoke in unison as they looked at each other in bewilderment before fixing their gaze back towards Laphicet. "I've never heard of a place called Midgand. We are just a few miles outside of the city of Mantle, near the town of Glayde in the Kingdom of Atlas. The orphanage got ots namesake from the continent we're on, Solitus" Gregory alluded, to which Laphicets' eyes widened in disbelief as his singular cowlick stood up straight. "H-huh?!" was all he could muster, "Umm…what about Islegand or Northgand?" he asked.

"Never heard of those either. Perhaps they are in some other continents, Remnant is a big world after all" Brother Gregory continued.

Now this was just confusing the Malak even more. _Remnant? Mantle? Atlas? _He had never even heard of these names before. Though to be fair, Rokurou himself came from a faraway land of a completely different culture too, so it wasn't out of the question to assume that he himself was far away from home. A sentiment shared by Valerie as she chimed in "It seems you're far away from home, wherever this 'Midgand' or the other places you described are ".

"So, what will you do now?" Valerie asked the boy. Laphicet felt somewhat frightened at the moment; for he now realized that he was lost and stranded in a completely foreign land. It was quite possible that he was even oceans apart from Velvet and the others. He had no idea about the customs and cultures of this place and this made his both frustrated and a bit intimidated.

"I-I…umm..well..I do have friends back home, people I care about. I don't like leaving them there all by themselves so maybe I coul-"

"If you're thinking about leaving, I wouldn't recommend it, not at these times at least" the cleric Gregory interjected "You could easily get lost in the cold forest and the Grimm are everywhere. I'm sure you're familiar with the Grimm enough to know it is a bad idea to wander into one even if you're a huntsman"

"I concur with Brother Gregory. It is quite dangerous at this time, especially for a child such as yourself. You were barely alive when the other children found you, I shudder to think what would've happened if we didn't get you here in time" Valerie chimed in and part of Laphicet begrudgingly agreed that she had a point. "Why don't you stay with us for the moment. There is plenty of room in the orphanage for one more child and we do have large collection of books from a generous donor. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two about the world to find your way back home."

That does seem like a reasonable offer to Laphicet, though he was still weighing his options on which would be the better choice: Trusting complete strangers in a foreign land might not be the best idea but going all alone in an unfamiliar territory would probably be even worse. He took a few seconds to come up with an answer. "I- maybe I could stay for a while here I guess" he replied to the offer.

"A good choice, my boy" Gregory praised him "perhaps if you're lucky, you might even get adopted by a wealthy family from Atlas"

"Adopted?" Laphicet asked.

"This is an orphanage after all. Most of these children are victims of a Grimm attack or come from poor backgrounds. Getting adopted by a well-off family is the best way to secure a good future. Though I'm sure with such an adorable face such as yours, it shouldn't be too hard" the Cleric teased.

Laphicets' whole face reddened as he puffed his cheeks "but I'm not adorable. Boys aren't supposed to be adorable" he proclaimed with seriousness, to which the two adults let out a small giggle upon hearing his proclamation. Laphicet let out sigh in defeat, for it seems as though the two didn't take his statement seriously.

"I'm sure that's true for you. Now come with me, I believe you would like to meet the other children" Valerie implored, to which Laphicet nodded with a smile as he followed her towards the large door. As the door opened, it revealed a large open field surrounded by a wall of forests. Lush snow had covered most of ground and trees as the piles of it blanketed the branches and leaves of trees while others were spreading out far and wide amongst the open dirt. Though he had been accustomed to cold places like Northgand before, Laphicet could still feel the chilly breeze flow through him.

However, it seemed to matter little to the children who were out playing in the field, frolicking amongst themselves. Some of them were busy playing tag or snowball fights, while others occupied themselves with building a snowman. All of them were busy doing their own thing, oblivious to the two figures emerging from the entrance of the orphanage, until one of them took notice.

"Hey, it's that kid we found!" a boy shouted. All the other children took notice of the call and immediately rushed towards Laphicet and surrounded him. The young Malak took a good look at all of the young and excited faces that had encircled him and realized that some of them looked very different from the others. For example, one boy had horns on the top of his head that resembled those of goats, while there was a girl who had fox like ears, another that had a tail of a cat while a boy on the far-left side had reptilian scales. Yet, they still resembled human enough that it made Laphicet be taken aback, though certainly not enough to shock him as he had seen all manner of strange creatures like Daemons alongside other Malakhim of different forms, shapes and sizes.

"Look like you're doing ok" one of the boys said.

"Yeah, we were so worried about you" the girl with the fox ears chimed in. "So, are you staying with us? And what's your name?" she continued.

"It's Laphicet" the malak answered with a warm smile, "and yeah, I think it'll be staying here a while. I wanna repay everyone here for helping me out so much"

"Alright!" a boy cheered.

"It looks like you'll be getting along with the other children just fine. Why don't you play and get to know them better for now? I'll help you settle in later" Sister Valerie suggested.

"That'd be awesome! So, will you hang out with us?" one of the children asked.

_I don't know where I 'am or how I'll get back but for now, I think I'll stay here _Laphicet thought to himself before he answered with enthusiasm "Sure! I'd love to".


	2. Chapter 2

Days turned to weeks, eventually becoming months and before he knew it, a full six months had flown by since the day Laphicet found himself on the orphanage and the place called Remnant in general. During his tenure, Laphicet took it upon himself to learn as much as he could about the new world he ended up on: the cultures, cities, societies, groups, individuals and more.

At first, things were…a bit awkward, to say the least, though 'awkward' was being generous here as the malak was completely out of loop and confused beyond belief at the things he was being introduced to and what he had to learn, understand and adapt to. Of course, this wasn't even counting the feelings of complete embarrassment at having grown adults and children alike teaching him about things that were supposed to be common sense; at least to them anyways.

To an uninitiated like him, it began with something as simple as electricity. Now he had seen lighting before and there were definitely mystic artes that made use of lightning, but to harness its power as a means of substituting fire as the source of light in darkness was nothing short of incredible. What was even more fascinating for Laphicet was the fact that this "electricity" was now used as the biggest primary source of energy after Dust, from the lights in the room, the machine that boiled water for drinking and bathing in the cold winter, to the strange things that froze and preserved food in the kitchen (called a refrigerator) and ovens that somehow made no use of fire.

Now speaking of dust, this was another subject of awe for him. These rare items resembled magical crystals and volatile sawdust that contained incredible amounts of energy. Some of the children showed him what a basic dust could do when they snuck out some fire dust and made it burst into small flames, after which Laphicet made it his priority to learn as much about dust as he could.

As with electricity and dust, another item that the people held in great esteem was something called a scroll. It certainly didn't look like an actual scroll but rather a small thin slab of foldable glass. Yet within it contained things far beyond anything he had ever seen. The clerics taught him to use one of the few scrolls that they had within their possession and from that first meeting, Laphicet fell in love with scrolls ever since. It was like a book in the form of a slab of glass that he could interact and mess around with. He could read, listen to music (genres and styles he had never even heard of before), learn about the latest happenings in the world and more. It was essentially a library and an entertainment medium within the palm of his hand. This was something he wished his home had.

That being said, traditional books still held great significance for him; mainly due to them being one of the few things he was still familiar with and the abundance of it within the orphanages' library. There he learned about the history of Remnant, it's continents, the formation of its four kingdoms, their governments, social structure, culture and many more. He learned about the humans and the faunus (humanoids that resembled humans but had animal traits within them as well) that inhabited this world, their dark and honestly sad history of never-ending violence as well as the issues pertaining to prejudice for each other as well. Disturbingly, he also began to learn about the creatures called the Grimm which everyone from Sister Valerie, Brother Gregory to the children all dreaded and something that he himself realized why. Of course, this also made him feel slightly relieved in sticking with the orphanage for the time being rather than striking out on his own as it seemed to have been the smart choice: not that he couldn't handle himself but he knew he would've been in trouble if he was outnumbered and if the Grimm were half as dangerous as the daemons back home. Reassuringly, he also learned about the huntsmen: trained warriors from each kingdom that protected people from Grimm and helped them in need. The way they operated seemed looser than the exorcists of the Shepherds abbey with the exception of huntsmen from Atlas but it seemed they were similar in some other ways.

In those six months, the topics he learned gradually moved away from the foundation of Remnants' society to the various groups or factions that held great influence over this world. It started with the councils of each kingdom that governed the state affairs, to the headmasters of each huntsmen academies, to the white fang: a faction of extremists dedicated to faunus rights. These studies also covered on sources related to military as well as private sectors like the Schnee Dust Company: a private enterprise that specialized in the production and distribution of dust.

All in all, the scroll and the library were a treasure trove of valuable knowledge that helped him gain at least a small footing on this world and understand it to a greater degree. Of course, his natural curiosity and talent for quick learning also aided him immensely. Sadly however, even with all of this information, Laphicet could only grumble in frustration over the fact that nothing was mentioned of any world beyond the main continents of Remnant; nothing spoke of the existence of Midgand or any of the other places. Even more worrying still, was the fact that every time he looked up at the night sky, a quarter of the moon was in pieces. This made him worry a great deal, for back when he was with Velvet and the others, the moon was still relatively intact. When he tried to bring the matter to the clerics and the other children, none could give him any answers for even they had no idea as to why the moon was like that. Worrying still, was the fact that they were surprised by the concept of an intact moon as they all thought it was always in a shattered state to begin with, causing a great deal of concern for Laphicet.

Based on the state of the moon and the complete lack of information on his place of origin, Laphicet could only make his own hypothesis as to what was going on and where he was. The first was that this was in fact the same world he lived on but several centuries after and that a new civilization had been born. Now this was not an unfounded theory as ancient lost civilizations were aplenty back in his time and it wasn't unreasonable to assume that his own civilization eventually became just another footnote in the eternal cycle of extinction and rebirth. If this case was true, then a tinge of sadness could be felt by Laphicet over the idea that everyone he loved and cared for were long gone, and if Eizen was not around, then it would seem time had passed by even further than he would have expected as Malakhim can live incredibly long lives (thousands of years in fact). Speaking of Malakhim, he hadn't met another malak yet, though he assumed that it was merely because of the fact that he was still stuck in the orphanage.

The Second theory, while a bit less dreadful than the first one seemed more out of this world than the former. It assumes that he is, in fact, on a completely different world through some strange phenomenon and has no way to get back. It certainly wasn't strange with everything he had seen and what Empyreans could be capable of based on what little he once read about them; it wasn't entirely out of the question. At the very least, if his situation was the latter, then he could at least feel relieved that his own world wasn't dead yet and his companions were still alive out there somewhere. Sadly, the downside to this was the fact that he had no way of getting back to them and could only hope that they were getting by without him. Stranger still, was the fact that despite Eleanor being his vessel he couldn't feel her presence or dwell on her head. Weirder still was the fact that he was relatively intact and could function without her presence for six months even if Malak can switch vessels should the need arise or they chose to.

Everything he had learned; the unfortunate implications of the knowledge that he had gained, would at times overwhelm him and disheartened him quite a bit. The idea that he was either in the future where everything and everyone he's known and loved were gone or that he is on another world entirely and that he can never get back home to see his companions, certainly didn't bode well for his sanity. He wasn't sure which plausible scenario would be there to explain to him how he got here in the first place, but he definitely knew he wasn't where he belonged. It terrified him.

But he could never give into to despair, no matter how much he felt like giving in to it. It wasn't just a matter of virtue or a sense of morality but of practicality as well: he was aware of the dangers of a malak being affected badly by malevolence, either by external factors like overtaxing his powers or going into a very dark place and getting his emotions overwhelmed. Either way, if that were the case, he was certain he would turn into a dragon, especially considering that his pure vessel Eleanor was no longer present. Such a scenario would prove most fatal to the people in the orphanage and especially the children. So even if all seemed hopeless, Laphicet had to use every ounce of his will to control himself and push him forward, no matter how dire his situation would seem.

On that note, he would try to focus on the positives as well, to keep his mind off of things. Surprisingly the children of the orphanage, even the brash and hardy ones, took to him and welcomed him with open arms. They would find amusement in his obliviousness towards nearly everything while teaching him all that they knew. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful as well, not only taking care of his basic needs but would also try to step in as mentors for him. In return for everything they did, Laphicet would use his mystic artes, namely his ability to heal, to help them in any way he could such as if a child was afflicted with some minor injuries while playing and was in need a quick solution. Again, as he tried to look for the positives, he was at the very least glad that some of his artes such as the ones in the form of paper (ones that he practiced in secret) and healing (which he openly flaunted) were still within his power. Of course, everyone else mistook the healing ability for his semblance, apparently an ability that individuals wielded that helped them in different ways through channeling of their aura, a physical extension of their soul. Laphicet felt that though this was not the case for him he still humored that notion for them rather than stir things up even more: He didn't tell them the truth sure, but he wasn't lying to them about not having any powers either.

Yet, none made him happier than being able to continue his passion for literary adventures and exploration. There was an abundance of books based on it and though most children weren't interested in such things, Laphicet would devour the knowledge gained from them like they were his daily bread and butter. The new technology and discoveries made by Remnant surpassed anything his own world had and it only served to increase the options on researching topics that piqued his curiosity even more. Thus, every time he had an opportunity to be all by himself, he would rush to a secluded garden in the orphanages' rear to spend time all by himself and read up on several volumes of books with not a care in the world. The peace and quiet of the little garden not only helped him forget about all of his problems but also helped reinvigorate his creativity and his desire to further out his passion for reading regardless of where he belonged. It reminded him that someone seeking to go beyond the oceans and explore the world had no place better than the entire world to called home. Remnant was a place of mysterious and exciting new opportunities that would reward him should he keep an open mind, something he convinced himself of. He didn't know how long he would stay at the orphanage but someday he felt that he would have to strike out on his own; as that was just the way he was, and nothing was going to change that. It just as Eizen had said, his ship was his alone to steer and his creed was his alone to bear and fly with pride.

Another day, another chance to continue on with his little passions, or so Laphicet thought. He opened his eyes to the sight of the other children getting up from their beds as the clerics and nuns woke them up for their morning routine: which was to get up, brush their teeth, say their prayers, have breakfast and then go off on their merry way to play games outside.

But Laphicet preferred heading in the opposite direction, towards the library. After breakfast, he made his way towards the mess halls' exit, and as he reached there, he turned towards the direction of the library. But just he was heading there, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Laphicet!" the voice shouted, which the malak responded by turning towards its direction. There he could see the source of the voice: a young girl with ginger hair, quite similar to him in age and maturity, with the ears of a fox surrounded by a few other boys and girls. "Oh, hey Nana. Did you need something?" Laphicet reciprocated, making his way towards her while doing so.

"Chael and the others were thinking of playing king of the castle today. Wanna join us?" she offered. "Thanks, but I'm going to the library today to read up" he politely rejected the offer, shaking his head. The girl seemed a little bit dejected at hearing his answer, "really? That's too bad" she whimpered.

"Bah, you know how he is Nana. Laphicet and his books are like glue and paper" one of the boys spoke up before turning his gaze towards the malak, "but seriously Phi, you should hang with us more often instead of sitting in that garden all day burying yourself with books".

"Phi again? Really?" now he hadn't had that nickname since Velvet gave him one and while these two people were worlds apart they somehow managed to come up with the same nickname to call him for months; he was mildly annoyed by such a coincidence, not that it mattered much as he sighed, "alright, alright, how about later in the evening then? Happy Chael?" Laphicet conceded, crossing his arms while feeling a bit annoyed by the pestering.

"Cool. But you'd better be there, otherwise Nana is going to get really mad at you"

"Nana?"

"Yeah, didn't you know? She's been talking about getting you to hang out with us all morning" the boy teased, giving a coy smirk at the fox girl, whose face stiffened with an angry look as she clenched her fists and her faced turned bright red while her pointed ears straightened in attention.

"Whoops, looks like that's my cue to get outta here. See ya bookworm" Chael said, making a mad dash for the exit that led to the open fields. The others quickly followed suit leaving only Laphicet and Nana, whose face returned to normal as she heaved a sigh of relief.

"What was all that about?" Laphicet asked, tilting his head to the side as he usually did when he was confused.

"U-Umm…i-it's nothing" Nana quickly replied, nervously fidgeting her hands as she broke off eye contact to look in the other directions, "soooo a-anyways, you'll come, won't you?"

"Yeah, I'll try" he replied with nod.

"Oh... that's good to know." She said, as a big grin formed up on her face, "Umm, anyways I'm gonna go with the others now since I don't wanna keep you standing around any longer, so see you later then, Laphicet?"

"Sure, thing Nana" Laphicet said. Nana smiled as she nodded before turning around and started walking in the opposite direction while Laphicet did the same.

As the young malak his way past the entrance of the library door, he was greeted at the receptionist desk by a very, very old man.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that a little potato walking over to me?" he spoke, holding onto to his spectacles with shaking hands as he hunched himself closer to the boy to get a better look at him.

"Hehehe, it's me Mr. Henry, Laphicet!" Laphicet happily answered. If there was ever a stereotype for aging, docile old men, Henry would fit that description very well: Shiny bald head, a toothless wrinkly smile that never left his face, white beard , eyes that barely opened, round spectacles, hunched back, hands that shake all the time and a tendency to never lose his composure. Of all the people Laphicet made friends with, Henry was the biggest in age gap. Despite the differences in how humans and malakhim age, Henry was in the twilight of his life, meaning he would be older than most of the newborn malakhim and stay that way till he passed. Speaking of age, his relationship with Henry was certainly a unique in that with the old man, Laphicet felt like this was what it would have been like to have a grandfather, something he never had or could have. It helped that the old man was always affable and reciprocated that sentiment, cracking unfunny elderly jokes, teaching him how to read and write with the new tools and instruments that Remnant had while providing his insight into the world through his own experience.

Laphicet learned from Henry that he was not an official member of the organization of clerics that ran the orphanage but rather a volunteer. He was formerly a medical engineer with a wife and two children, though years had passed since then as his children were now grown adults with kids of their own while he and his wife retired from official work. The old man chose to work as a librarian partly out of a desire to help children in need and partly in defiance of his age. The children, Laphicet included, filled in the void for his grandchildren that he and his wife missed dearly out of not seeing them often.

"Ah yes, of course, the little scholar has returned" he affectionately announced, "so what books will it be this time?".

"The Floras and Faunas of Solitus please" Laphicet happily answered.

"Just the one today?" he paused "ah yes, yes, of course" the old librarian resumed as he slowly made his way towards the specified shelf, gingerly picking up the book and bringing it to the desk. "Here it is" he said, gently placing the large book on the desk, after which he picked up a smaller notebook and a small instrument bag, placing them next to the book as well, "don't forget these as well, I've been keeping them safe for you".

"Thanks Mr. Henry" the malak replied, taking the items from the desk.

"No need for that. I'm glad a boy of your age is taking an interest in these things instead of those dreadful comic books my son and my grandson used to bury themselves in"

Laphicet giggled at that statement, "I'm sure they just really loved what they were reading. Anyways, I've gotta go Mr. Henry" he said, making his way towards the exit.

"Ah well, nothing to be done about it. Take care of those books my boy and don't forget to bring them back here when you're done" Henry ordered.

"I will!" Laphicet answered, waving as he made his way past the door.

Morning gave way to midday as Laphicet buried himself writing down information from the book onto his notes in a hut on the small garden that had become his dwelling place. It was a peaceful and tranquil place filled with lovely scenery from the tiny stream to the beautiful tundra flowers that dominated the greenery as the sights and sounds of insects and birds became the only source of significant noise; the perfect place to focus on such mental activity as hardly anyone came by to disturb him.

For the most part, Laphicet was busy writing down or sketching everything he could learn from the book into one of his notebooks, something he decided to do on a frequent basis as a way of gathering up his personal wealth of information. He tried to cover as many topics as he possible could, anything that was related to facts, trivia and exploration in fact. Perhaps, he had more in common with Eizen and Eleanor than he originally thought, since those two, and especially Eizen loved these kinds of things. Humorously for the other children and clerics (much to his chagrin and embarrassment again), before their introduction to him, instruments such as pencils, pens, dividers, miniature compasses and other geometry items were completely alien to him as well, for back in his own world, the quill and the ink were the only ways of writing besides some magical glyphs. Nevertheless, he was grateful for having been introduced to them as they were several times more effective and convenient as well as time saving than what he would have had to use back in his old world. However, getting immersed in his own little world rendered him oblivious to the fact that he was not alone anymore as another figure made their way towards him, though nothing seemed to really matter to the young malak at that point as he was busy trying to refine his sketch of a flower he had drawn for his notes. As he tried to remove some of the lines he found undesirable, the intensity in which he stroked the eraser caused it to slip from his hands and make its' way to the small stream, while Laphicet looked on in panic as he desperately tried to catch it only for it to seem futile. Fortunately, at the last possible second second a hand caught it before it reached its watery grave.

"Is this yours?" the figure reached out to give the eraser to the boy, who looked up to see who it was. "Oh, thank you" Laphicet replied, reaching out his own hand to receive it. As he did so, he continued to get a good look at this person. She was a tall, frail woman with pale skin and hair white as snow ; her attire was more on the extravagant side in comparison to the staff who worked at the orphanage as it consisted of a white cravat connected by a silver brooch set finished with a red stone along with a light purple jacket with light sleeves, and a wide belt around her waist while her hair was worn like a ponytail hanging over her shoulder.

"Would it be alright with you if I shared a seat here" the woman asked again, causing Laphicet to immediately get out of his stupor and shake his head. "It's okay, I don't mind" he answered with a cheerful smile before returning to his seat while the woman sat on the other side of the hut.

Minutes had passed yet nothing eventful had happened, which was kind of worrying for Laphicet. Most of the time, when someone approached him, no matter who it was or what age, that person would always be there to strike up a conversation with him and he would gladly return the sentiment. There were times when it was he who initiated the conversation though it was with people with whom he thought the outcome would be the ones he expected. This time though, it was different; as there was something eerie yet uncomfortable about the whole scenario he was facing. As he shifted his gaze from his books to the woman, he could see her staring off into the distance, not paying any mind to his presence or perhaps everything else as well. Getting a better look at the woman, Laphicet could pick out the more subtle details of her features that he had missed earlier, especially around her face: there were bags under her eyes suggesting that she may have been crying or suffering from exhaustion and lack of sleep while the monotonous stance on her lips were contradicted by the lowering of her eyebrows that gave way to gentle blue eyes. All in all, she just looked…...sad.

The young malak had been in a number of embarrassing situations but never had he ever felt this much discomfort before. Though perhaps it would be easier to say that he had never felt more uncomfortable in his entire life than when he was now. He could sense an incredible amount of malevolence emanating from her, though she had yet to turn into a daemon. This worried him a lot and the implications of what could happen terrified him and yet, something about her just satiated his curiosity even more. The woman just radiated melancholy and yet, she wasn't suffering from any of the symptoms of turning into a daemon; as far as he knows there was no empyrean or therion that he knew of in Remnant to contain such an affliction but then again, he hadn't seen Remnant in its' entirety yet.

It was then that Laphicet decided that he would take the initiative to break the ice, preferably to break out of this awkward situation he felt he was in. He took a deep breath and readied to open his mouth….only for the steely gaze of the woman to suddenly shift towards him as she may have noticed him staring at her for a good while causing the malaks' eyes to widen before he quickly turned his face down staring at his notebook intensely all the while pretending to not notice the lady having turned her full attention towards him.

"A flower?" she inquired, curiously leaning over to look at Laphicets' notes, "awfully strange for a boy of your age to take an interest in such things"

"W-well, it's just…. I think it's cool, that's all" Laphicet answered, slowly lifting his face from the book. "What about you Miss- "

"It's Willow" the lady quickly replied "and your name is?"

"Laphicet" he asserted, a gentle smile forming on his face, "So anyway, what are you doing here Miss Willow" the boy continued. Indeed, it was a question he never even thought to ask himself before: Who was she? And what was she doing here? Was she an intruder? If so, how did she get here? If not, did she arrived here as a guest without him even knowing anything? And to be fair, he did spend his entire morning in the garden with nary a care in the world.

"Me?" the woman says, seemingly curious as to the question asked. "Well, I came by to donate a few of my belongings for the orphanage and thought I'd spend some time alone here. Of course, I did not expect someone else to be here as well."

"So, you're not adopting anyone?" the malak continued prying. Once something had captured his curiosity, there was very little else that could satiate it.

"Goodness no. The children here are wonderful but I already have three burdens to bear with" she answers bluntly as she lowers her eyes and her head faces downwards, almost as if it the conversation sparked up a bad memory. "But …...it has been…...difficult at times. They're not as lively as they once were and…. sometimes I feel like it's all my fault. As if I've failed them miserably" small droplets of tears trickling down from her eyes as she turned to look elsewhere.

It was then that Laphicet probably guessed as to why she was giving off such a melancholic aura. He didn't know the full story and yet he felt like he knew enough to know what was going on just from the observations he made on her body language. Never having any parents of his own (being a malak born from a deceased human) and having been raised by a group of misfits probably meant he wouldn't be the best person to truly help her in this situation since he could never know what it felt like to truly have a blood family. Yet, something about her was compelling every fiber of his being to help her in any way he could no matter how futile it would be. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't stand seeing someone sad, or perhaps him not having a birth family meant he could resonate with his own feelings of loneliness and isolation despite its difference. No matter the reason, the boy took a deep breath once again and readied himself.

" If it makes you feel any better, Miss Willow, maybe they're just having a really hard time telling you how they really feel too" he nervously assured her, causing the woman to quickly wipe back the tears as she faced him again, with a small sad smile forming upon her lips. "Thank you dear, but it's me who's having trouble telling it to them. There was a time a time I could freely say it but…not anymore" she answers back, "now the walls between us have shut the ties we once had for good".

"Well I think you shouldn't give up!" the malak suddenly asserted, causing the woman to look at him with curiosity. "Someone once told me that even if it feels insurmountable, we shouldn't give up!" he voices loudly, before quickly calming down and fidgeting his fingers, "s-so…just try again with your kids. Just…. tell them how you really feel, even if it's awkward or hard. I'm sure they'll understand".

Seeing such kindness and resolve in the boy's words, Willow couldn't help but let out a giggle. She hadn't had someone say such things to her in a long time, and from a child no less. "It's not quite as easy for me as you would believe it to be, but…. I'll take what you said into consideration" she says with a gentle smile," still, quite strange for a boy like you to know such things. Perhaps you've experienced such feelings before?".

"I…used to hang around with different people before I came here. I never had parents of my own but they were like my family. They taught me everything they knew, protected me and took care of me. But most importantly, they taught me to be my own person" Laphicet explains, obviously omitting out most of the facts, most importantly his malakhim heritage and the fact that his surrogate family consisted of a wanted criminal that consumed living beings, a malak pirate, a daemon infected vagabond bent on killing his brother, a former exorcist and a strange witch.

"Do you miss them?" Willow asks.

"Yeah, all the time, but I know wherever they are, they're making the best out of their life" he says with a sad tone.

"I see. And what about you? Are you making the most of your life?"

Laphicet places his right hand on his chin, pondering the question before coming up with an answer, "I wanna learn everything I can about Remnant and then I wanna explore all of it"

"Aren't you a little too young for things like exploring the whole world yet?" she questions, letting out a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna get taller soon and when that happens, I'm gonna see everything that there is in this world! That's my dream!" he loudly proclaims.

A short burst of laughter fills the air as Laphicet looks on with surprise upon seeing Willow's demeanor shift from gloomy to something more lighthearted, not that it was a bad thing. "Is something wrong?" he asks.

"No, nothing at all dear child. It's just…...well, you remind me somewhat of my daughter Weiss. That tenacity, that drive, that fire in your eyes; she too has it all. Once she sets her mind to something, she does not waver" Willow answers.

"You must be really proud of her!" the boy states clenching his fists together and with a bright smile. Willow and Weiss, now those were names he had heard of once but he just couldn't put his finger on it and that was on top of the way the woman looked, as if he had seen her somewhere before. Perhaps if he knew the surnames he could find out.

"Indeed I 'am. I'm proud of all of them. But" suddenly her mood shifted back to that melancholic state once again, "who they are now and everything they've accomplished so far is in spite of me, not because of me. I haven't spoken to them in a long while and for that, they've resented me. Especially Weiss"

Just when he thought he was getting somewhere with her, it felt like they were back to square one. '_She keeps bringing it back to how terrible she is as a parent, …...maybe something bad must've really happened to her family' _Laphicet thought deeply. This lady looked like she had completely given up on living and just wants to waste away. It was a sad, sad state to be in; something Laphicet was very familiar with seeing as Velvet herself was once on the verge of despair before but he couldn't remember why or where and this lapse in memory was something that disturbed him greatly. However, in Willows case, it seems that she was trying to cope by just shutting down completely, thus becoming an empty shell of a person filled with nothing but grief and hatred for oneself, all the while slowly drifting herself into decay.

'_Well, if I'm gonna do it, might as well do it now' _he confided to himself. Something about this situation just compelled him to keep trying to help her. Perhaps it was because in his heart he yearned for a family of his own and desired it as much as he valued his independence, and seeing the woman potentially lose hers just didn't sit well with him. Whatever the reasons were, he took a deep breath again and exhaled, as he tore out a page from his notebook containing a pressed flower before he got down from his bench and made his way over to the woman.

"Um, I'm not really good with stuff like this. B-but if it makes you feel any better, you can have this" Laphicet reached his hands out, holding a piece of paper as he directed his face elsewhere with his eyes closed, redness forming on his cheeks. Willow looked genuinely taken aback by this forthcoming act before taking the paper with a smile, as the young malak heaved a sigh of relief, opening his eyes and facing her. Taking a good look at it, she could see that a single flower had been pressed in the paper for preservation.: A beautiful white Magnolia by the looks of it. "S-so if you're feeling bad about things, you can just talk to me, Miss Willow. I'll listen" he continued.

'_To think that a child would be the one to offer me emotional support, how low I've fallen' _ Willow thought to herself before coming up with an answer "Hmm, is it not the adults who are the ones who are supposed to offer such help to children and not the other way around?" she says with a tint of shame. Slowly but surely, she got up and started walking past Laphicet before turning around "but still, I appreciate the thought."

"It's alright. I'm glad I can help" Laphicet answers.

Willow looks on with a gentle smile before turning away from him. "Laphicet right? I'll keep what you said in mind."

_There's something about that boy but I can't put my finger on it. When he talked to me, I feel like something good has finally come into my life for the first time in a long time. _And with that she walked away, leaving the young malak all by his lonesome in the garden, unable to help herself as her smile remained.

**Note:**

**To anyone who might ask or probably will ask, I'am NOT going to ship Willow with Laphicet, Lol! I don't have the writing talents to write such a thing tastefully. You're all welcome to try though ****. **

**Anyways, hope you enjoy it.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Serein"

"The sunset rain that falls from a sky with no clouds"

"Solitude"

"To be secluded and isolated from everything and anything. It is a state to be in"

"Umm…. how about …. this one: Serendipity"

"Hmm, that would be…... I see. The best way I can put this would be: a special chance meeting that affects us for the better" Willow answers, "ours was a serendipity, wouldn't you agree?"

"You really think so?" Laphicet smiles as he asks.

"If our weekly meeting is anything to go by, then yes" Willows affirms his question as she slightly shifts from her seat, watching him laugh innocently. And to be fair, she did have a point from her own perspective on her chance encounter with Laphicet. Despite their difference in age and experiences, for reasons she couldn't fathom, the boy had become her only confidant. Perhaps it was because of how friendly and forthcoming he was in offering support, how earnest and genuine that offer felt compared to most of the people who had given her their "condolences" or their hand of "friendship" while hiding an ulterior motive. Maybe it was because his naiveite and sincerity were a breath of fresh air from the abusive, manipulative and brutal honesty her husband displayed. It could've been all of these factors and more, or it could be that he was simply adorable to look at.

Regardless of the reason, there was no denying that he at least made some sort of impact on her. Willow still hadn't had the courage to face her children and have an honest discussion with any of them; the guilt and the shame were still too much to bear and tensions were still at an all-time high. Not helping matters was the fact that she still relied on bottles of wine to drown out the misery. That being said, she did try to hold herself back from frequently going to the bottle when things became too much to bear all the time and her weekly visits to see Laphicet at the orphanage helped in that regard. The times she spend with him helped fight back the urge to lose herself in drowning her sorrows on a daily basis and even if the process of healing would be a painful and difficult task, Willow felt that as long as Laphicet was there to remind her of the good that the world still had, she would at least try.

As Willow continued to observe the young boy earnestly reading through his book, she started to get lost in the deep memories she used to cherish: the moments before her world turned to a frozen hell, the times when she used to tell stories to her children, brush Weiss and Winters hair, giving advice to Whitely as he eagerly listened and tried to hold onto to the image of a loving family, pretending that she loved her husband and that he felt the same way.

It was a terrible illusion: one that shattered like a mirror and broke her will into pieces; something that had become nearly impossible to piece back. At the very least, having someone to confide in, even if it was a child, made the pain bearable to some extent. Continuing to look at Laphicet, Willow couldn't help but be reminded of her own children before they became resentful of her, something she blames herself for fervently. His innocence and positive outlook reminded her of the sweet children that Winter, Weiss and Whitely used to be. Yet he was very difficult to get a good read at however, since he wasn't like most children as the clerics had described. As she got to spend more time with him, Willow had started to develop a vested interest in him and a desire to know more about him. He had a certain aura about him that radiated differently from all the others, and that certain mystic only drew her to him more.

* * *

"_Laphicet? He's the one you've been visiting for weeks, right? You want to know more about him?" Valerie asked._

"_Yes" Willow says, sipping on a cup of tea. She was sitting in the office balcony of the orphanage overlooking the open field that the children used for playing. Next to her was a table with a tea set, from which Valerie was sitting across stirring her own cup of tea._

"_But why him?" the nun continues asking as she stops stirring her cup, "you're not planning on adopting him, are you?" she continues, narrowing her gaze._

"_Actually, I' am" Willow bluntly answers._

"_Of course, you were" Valerie gently rested her cup on the table and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead while letting out a deep breath indicating that she expected the conversation to go this route and she wasn't all too pleased with it either. Willow noted the look that her friend was giving her, which, from her own experience meant 'I knew you were going to ask that'. _

"_Willow, I don't thin- "Valerie stopped and chose to reconsider her words more carefully, "What I mean is that with everything that is going on with your life, I don't think taking in Laphicet will do you any good. Or any other children for that matter"_

"_Yes, I know" Willow noted, though it only made the nun stare at her with suspicious intent even more._

"_And yet you still want to go through with it?" Valerie continued interrogating, before pausing for a few seconds. Suddenly her eyes widened before she gave out a deadpanned stare at Willow, almost as if she came to a realization and figured out why. "Adults are not supposed to use children as emotional supports or as replacements. Especially orphans. That is just too cruel and we can't condone that" She scolded the other woman, who only looked down in shame as if her secret had been discovered. _

"_Willow, we appreciate all that you've done for this place and I know what Laphicet has done for you and that it meant a lot to you, but he's a child, he cannot be your confidant. That is dangerous, for the both of you, especially with your problems with the bottle" Valerie calmed herself a bit while still reprimanding her, "and you already have three children as it is. Please don't tell me you intend to replace them because of your own falling out with them" _

"_Valerie I- "Willow could barely find the words needed to convey what she really wanted to say amidst all the verbal stabbings she was getting. The worst part of this feeling was the fact that the nun might actually have a point._

_There was at least another minute of awkward silence as both parties just sat there and kept mum. Neither of them had touched their tea despite the fact that it was getting cold since the conversation had become a little too engaging for either of their liking. Eventually Valerie cooled down enough to start talking again._

"_Fine. What would like to know?" she asked after letting out a deep sigh. _

_Willow was quite surprised by this sudden turn of events. She honestly thought the nun was going to tell her to forget about adopting and start trying to fix her own life. "You still want to help? Even after knowing everything?" she asked with genuine curiosity._

"_Given the circumstances of your life and intentions for Laphicet, I would normally say no. But I'm willing to give you a chance on the condition that you'll try to better yourself or at least contain the problems you've been having. With your family's wealth, resources and connections, you're the best choice Laphicet has for a good future, something we can't give. Just promise me one thing" Valerie explained._

"_What is it?" Willow asks, curious as to where this was leading._

"_That you'll treat him like he was your own child. Can you do that?"_

"_Yes"_

"_Even if your husband or your other three children won't accept him, promise me you won't abandon him" _

"_I promise"_

"_Remember, he's going to be your son, not your pet" Valerie gave a stern warning. Now Willow was a little bit offended by that statement. She wasn't a perfect parent or a person by any means, but for someone to assume that she was that low, to treat a kid as a pet was a bit too much. Still, if it meant getting her friend to agree to it, she'd happily eat crow._

"_I understand" she answered with a nod._

"_Good. Now where do we start…..." Valerie smiles. Seemingly satisfied with the answer she was given._

* * *

"Umm, Miss Willow?"

Willow's eyes widened as she was snapped out of her trance, realizing that Laphicet had been staring at her. As such, she cleared her throat before replying in a soft voice, "Y-yes?"

"Are you alright? You were pretty out of it for a while?" Laphicet tilted his head as he asked.

"I-I'm quite alright, thank you. I was just thinking about something" the lady reassured with a smile, "but anyways, was there something you needed to ask of me?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I wrote down the words that I asked you like you told me to" the malak reminded the woman.

"Oh…. of course, they were serein, solitude and serendipity correct?" Willow said, straightening her back to which Laphicet nods in affirmation.

"Well, now that you understand these words, why don't you try making a poem based on them" Willow suggested.

"A poem?" Laphicet asked, looking mildly confused.

"Indeed. It will help you master your wordplay and rhyming skills, as well as give you an outlet for artistic expression through poetic description" Willow explained, "a very short one will suffice, so can you do it?"

Laphicet scratches the back of his head on hearing the request, "I don't know. I've read a lot of poems before but never written a single one"

As he lowered his head, a hand reached out and caressed the top of his golden-brown hair, causing him to look up and see the Willow looking straight at him with a gentle smile. "It's quite alright. Take all the time you need, there's no need to rush it" Willow says in calm tone before removing her hand from his head.

Laphicet raised his hand and touched the part of the head that was caressed, staring at Willow slacked jawed before it eventually turned to a bright smile as he answered, "alright, I'll do my best."

* * *

"_For starters, he's very inquisitive. Always wanting to learn about nearly everything in earnest. Probably has something the do with the fact that no one seems to have bothered to properly teach him anything, wherever he was born and raised" Valerie explains, sipping on her cup of tea._

"_I see. Does he have any sort of semblance?" Willow responds curiously, while doing the same with her cup._

"_It appears that he can heal physical wounds without the need for Aura, fitting that for someone so kind, though he still has difficulty when it comes to dust. As a matter of fact, when he first came here, he didn't even know what dust was, nor a scroll for that matter. Truth be told, he didn't know a lot of things, and the poor child was quite embarrassed about it. Based on my own observations, I assumed that he came from some far, backwater land completely isolated from the rest of Remnant, wherever this 'Midgand', 'Northgand' and 'Islegand' were" the nun continued._

"_A collection of archipelagos with completely different cultures isolated from us is a possibility. That would also explain his inquisitive nature and his endless curiosity" Willow asserted. _

"_Correct, although it still does not explain how he can speak our language fluently or the fact that he was surprised when he found out about the way the moon looked. The boy is indeed full of mysteries and that mystic only adds to the allure. Here's the interesting part: initially he was quite slow to learn and pick up on things, but over the next few months, his knowledge and literary skills progressed at a rate I've never seen before. Mathematics, Science, Philosophy, Arts, History, Cartography, Topography, these things take time to learn, understand and master, while he's done most of it in months what others would take years to the extent that I believe he's now ahead of the other children in that regard"_

"_So, you're saying that he might be a prodigy, Valerie?" the snow haired woman asked._

"_In a way, I believe so. Someone of his age with that kind of talent to learn quickly is unique and rarely comes by. I'm certain he could become a polymath of some sort given the right opportunities and tutelage. Which was one of the reasons why I considered letting you take him in" Valerie takes a few seconds to catch her breath as she sips another cup of tea._

"_I see" Willows said as she nods._

"_But, to put that kind of pressure on a child and to force someone else's dreams and ambitions on him is also unfair to him and cruel. Which was why I was having second thoughts about approving your request given your troubled family affairs. He's still a boy and I want him to enjoy being one" the nun speaks once again after finishing her tea, "but you're not a bad person Willow, nor a bad parent. You just hate yourself too much to see that."_

"_is that why you made your choice to see this through?" Willow inquired._

"_Part of it yes. Like any other children, he's still impressionable and naïve, which was one of the reasons I was worried. But after hearing what he did for you, I know his heart is in the right place"_

"_That much I'm certain of" Willow lets out small laugh._

"_That was very sweet of him and I can certainly see why you were so taken by him. It seems like this is something we can both agree on" Valerie says as she lets out her own laugh. "Perhaps I should tell you more about his childish side as well" the nun offered, diverting to topic to a more lighthearted one._

"_Of course, please do" Willow happily answers._

* * *

Several minutes had passed as Laphicet was quietly trying to form some sort of comprehensive poetry as requested by Willow, who would soon break the silence and ask him softly, "are you ready now?"

He looked up to her with a slight hesitation before replying, "Umm, yeah, I guess"

"Very well, will you read it out loud for me?" she asked.

Laphicet blinked at the request she had made, his eyes widened as redness formed on his cheeks before looking down. "This is so embarrassing" he muttered under his breath, hoping that the older woman did not notice him grumbling. It took a few seconds for him to regain his composure and straighten his posture once again. Looking up, he could see that Willow was still patiently waiting for him with a smile on her face. "Alright" he said, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Droplets of rain falls, yet no clouds in the sky,

Alone I rest in my solitude, until you come by,

And if this is serendipitous, will you be my friend?"

The malak nervously started fidgeting his hands as he looked towards Willow for her answer. "So how is it? I've never done this before" he admitted.

Willow placed her right hand on her chin as if to evaluate his work and draw up a conclusion. She eventually came up with an answer, "Hmm, quite alright if I must say so. Of course, there are still areas that I believe can be improved upon but for your first poetry it was good enough"

Laphicet heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing her answer. "Whew! I was worried for a while there" he said with a smile.

"Keep this up and you should be able to polish your literary skills in no time" Willow reassured.

"Alright, I keep that in mind. Thank you for your help Miss Willow" Laphicet said with a nod, "though I kinda feel bad that I can't give you anything in return"

With eyes wide open, Willow stared at the young malak, "Laphicet…", her words falter as she looks the other way as she hesitantly said, "if you would like to repay me, then would you mind me asking you something?"

"Sure, ask me anything" Laphicet enthusiastically answered. He noticed a twitching in her hand that she rested on her lap.

"You said you never had parents of your own. But have you ever thought of wanting one?" she asked.

Laphicet tilted his head, like he usually did whenever he was confused, since he was taken aback by this sudden and strange question. Nevertheless, he did say that she could ask him anything so he decided to at least try to answer it, "You mean like getting adopted? Umm…. well, I don't know, I… don't think anyone is interested in adopting me"

"But would you like to be adopted? To have parents and siblings of your own?" the white-haired woman continued asking.

"Yeah!" Laphicet lips curved into a big smile as his forest yellow eyes glistened. He quickly regained his composure upon seeing the surprised look that Willow was giving him before he thought of a more definitive answer. "I-I mean, I'd love it. I never met my parents so I don't know what it's like to have a family but I still want one" he said, of course still leaving out the fact as a malak he technically never had a parent, though he still considered Celica Crowe and Artorius Collbrande as his, considering that he was the reincarnation of their unborn child. Somehow, her question took him back to the time when Magilou suggested Eleanor to think of Laphicet as her brother, something that made him feel giddy and excited over. It felt even better when Eleanor admitted that she could think him as one, though that moment was still mitigated by the fact that it was when she was bickering with Velvet with him caught in between and thus he chose to settle for an older brother instead. Those days were the ones he still cherished and he had hoped that he could fill in that void someday. His words became gentler as he said, "To be someone's son or to have someone call me their brother…. I don't know how to really say this but there's something about that feeling that makes me happy; to know there's people out there who want me to be part of their family, to love me as their son or brother even if I don't share their family ties. So, if I was adopted, I think I'd liked that."

"Is... is that so? Well, that's good to know" Willow said, her smile turning a bit sad despite her voice remaining calm.

"So why is it that you wanted to ask me this, Miss Willow?" Laphicet asked, tilting his head as he stared at her.

Hearing this, Willow flinched momentarily, her eyes meeting his as she became unsure of how to reply to him. Looking at his eager face just made her hate herself even more for evaluating him like this rather than being completely honest with him. She felt sorry for what was going to be asked of him soon, looking at his cheerful yet oblivious face. She wondered if she really was trying to have him fill in the void for her children as the nun warned, and thus, taking advantage of his kindness. She felt there wasn't really anything to really talk about at the moment though she tried to at least drum up an answer for him.

"Well…. It's because I- "

Suddenly, her attempts at an answer were interrupted as her scroll rang loudly causing the boy to blink. She wasn't sure if this was a moment killer for the conversation or divine intervention to save her from digging a deeper hole. Either way, it was an indicator that the time spent with him was up and it was her que to take her leave.

"It seems I have to take my leave. Forgive me Laphicet but I'll have to go now" she parted those words softly as she took her leave.

"It's alright Miss Willow. Maybe we can meet again sometime" he replied as he smiled at her.

"I hope so too, my dear" Willow chuckled softly as she left.

* * *

"_Laphicet loves his books. Whenever he has the chance, he'll bury himself with one all day if he could" Valerie explains, "of course, one of us has to remind him to eat every now and then. He prides himself on being independent and once even told me that he would leave the orphanage on his own someday. Simultaneously, he does tend to overestimate himself and his own independence. Sometimes he would disagree with some of our requests and try to put his foot down, puffing his cheeks and grumble, only to come running back to us like a puppy whenever his stomach grumbled" she giggles as she said so, something Willow herself couldn't help but laugh along. Valerie paused for a while before fixing her gaze up at the sky with a hand on her chin while continuing to explain, "I think part of it has to do with the fact he's trying too hard to be like an adult at such a young age. Forcing himself to bear such heavy burdens even when he's not ready for such things"._

"_I may have seen that side of him occasionally, but why do you think he behaves in such a manner?" Willow inquires._

"_I've noticed that whenever he is with other children or even all by his lonesome, there are moments where he seems sad; It's subtle but the signs are there. I don't think he hates the company of others, rather he seems to enjoy it but my intuition tells me that he's desperately seeking something" the nun explains, reverting her eyes back to her companion._

"_And what is that something?" the white-haired woman asked as she leaned forward from her chair._

"_To be acknowledged. Not just as a friend or a companion but as someone important to somebody. I don't know everything about him or his past, but my experience with children paints me a story of him: someone who's life has been blessed with love, kindness and attention yet at the same time ignored, discarded and starved of love. He craves to be part of a family, to fill in that void for the loneliness he has in his heart", the nun continued, "It's this trait that directly contradicts with his own strive to be a free spirit: his true self and the brave front he puts on. I think this conflict of desires is troubling him more that he lets on or believes himself to be affected by"._

_Willow leaned back as she crossed her arms, seemingly coming to some sort of revelation. "I know that feeling all too well. And the more I learn about Laphicet, the more in common he has with Weiss" she said, pinching the bridge of her nose._

"_Speaking of Weiss, how is she?" Valerie asked, surprising even Willow, "are there still tensions between you two? And what of the other two, Winter and Whitley"_

"_She- "Willow paused before she lowered her head, "we still have trouble conversing with one another as we used to. She's become more brazen and confrontational with strangers these days, though I believe it's her way of coping with everything that has happened. Despite denouncing her inheritance, Winter has been doing well with the Atlas Military, though she has become more apathetic and distant. However, she does occasionally visit once in a while, and I've heard Weiss is happier for it. As for Whitley, he is courteous and well conversed with everyone, yet I cannot shake the feeling that much like Laphicet, it is not his true self. He is an Island to himself"._

_Valerie trained her eyes on the Schnee as she gave her a dull stare. She sighed before she stated, "given your descriptions, I 'am certain that your children may not be so readily accepting of Laphicet. Rather, I fear that there will be immediate hostilities towards him. And that's just your children, your husband is another can of worms entirely. I hope you're prepared to deal with this, because If I hear that any harm has come to Laphicet, I will take him back."_

"_I understand. I will endeavor to protect Laphicet so long as he's with me" Willow nodded, though it didn't seem to convince Valerie enough just yet. The nun stared at the Schnee for a few more minutes before she eventually resigned as she sighed "then I hope you will live up to that promise."_

"_Of course," Willow respectfully stated._

"_Very well then, I will prepare all the necessary documents we need to create for him. It will take weeks and I will need your help as well, since you are going to be his parent. I 'am not sure whether your husband will approve of this or not, but hopefully that is something you can work out with him. In the meantime, you should take the weeks to spend more time with him. Get to know him better and let him be more comfortable with you, so the process will be much smoother when the day comes" Valerie instructed._

_Willow seemed almost relieved upon hearing those words. "I understand" she nodded as she let out a smile, "thank you Valerie"._

* * *

The weeks that followed were rather uneventful for Laphicet, not that it was a bad thing or that it was boring, rather, his life started moving in the usual cog that had been spinning for the last six months or so once again. Everyday he would spend a portion of his time on his usual dwelling place, burying himself with his notes and books, and if there was no need to play with Nana, Chael and the other kids, he would allocate the entire day (aside from his daily meals) to just spending his time in the little garden. He would look at the empty space in the bench in front of him wondering when her next visit would be or if such meetings would no longer happen again. Part of him blamed himself for having such expectations while the other half of him admitted to missing the weekly visits she paid him. He really didn't know why but the times spent with her made him feel happy in some sort of way.

Laphicet shook his head as he tried to dispel out any negative thoughts or assumptions about her absence, many of which fell along the lines of her getting bored of him, or something that he did or said that must've repulsed her. _"Maybe she's finally talking to her kids again and it's working out" _he convinced himself trying to make up a silver lining.

And yet, no matter how hard he tried to shake that feeling off, he still pondered on about why she had asked that question about wanting to be adopted. He didn't know why but that question kept him awake night after night as he stared at the ceiling in deep thought while the other children were fast asleep. Maybe it struck something deep inside of him, evident by the fact that it bothered him at all times as it had a way of picking at his conscious. The worst part was that their conversation ended abruptly and as a result, he never got a definitive answer.

He would try to ignore it as much as he could however, carrying on with his daily business as if nothing ever happened. Unbeknownst to him, however, Laphicet would eventually receive a revelation to all his lingering doubts.

* * *

"You should've been more careful!" Laphicet lightly scolded as he reached out both his hands while a green glowing aura emanated from them. He was busy healing a minor wound on a boy sitting at the trunk of a tree.

"Sorry. I got careless and slipped" the boy apologized though with a cheeky smile added in, mainly due to the fact that the wound was caused by falling down from the same tree he was resting on. Laphicet could only roll his eyes and let out a sigh.

A full month had passed since his last conversation with Willow and by this point, he was beginning to move on with his own life believing that she had finally made amends with her family and thus had no need for his support anymore, though he still missed their conversations from time to time.

"Done" Laphicet said, letting go of both hands as they stopped glowing. "You should check in with the infirmary just to be safe. And try to be more careful next time, I'm not a miracle worker you know" the malak ordered.

"Alright. Thanks for the help!" the boy said with a big grin on his face as he got up and started running. Laphicet seemed at a loss for words, seeing as the boy seemed to have completely forgotten about his warning to be more careful, causing the malak to groan as he put his hands on his hips.

"Laphicet!" suddenly a voice came calling, startling Laphicet as he turned around to see Chael and Nana, the two orphans he was closest with, running frantically towards him.

"Chael? Nana? Is something wrong?" Laphicet asked as he watched the two catch their breaths. It must've been an urgent matter for them to rush at such speed. Both remained silent for an entire minute before Nana finally started speaking, "No, nothing's wrong. Sister Valerie wants to see you in her office, that's all"

"Sister Valerie? But why?" Laphicet asked.

"Because" Chael spoke up with a toothy grin before putting his left arm around Laphicets shoulder, "you just got the call. And what that means is that you, my friend" he said pointing his right finger at the malak, "are getting adopted"

"Whaaaaaaaaatttt!" his cowlick strand stood upright, with wide open eyes while he himself seem to have shut down completely.

"C-Chael? I think we might've broken him" Nana nervously stated, her ears lowering down as a result.

"Don't worry" Chael reassured, "he'll be fine in five, four, three, two- "

"M-m-m-m me? W-w-w-w-why? Why ME? W-w-w-w-what did I do? W-who would want me?" Laphicet panicked as he frantically tried to form sentences from all his stuttering.

"I dunno" Chael shrugged his shoulders as he answered bluntly.

"Sister Valerie wants you to meet them right now" Nana added, trying to calm the boy down.

Laphicet placed both his hands on the sides of his head as he knelt down on the ground, cheeks flushed red, eyes swirly like whirlpools and a mouth jabbering incoherent words.

"N-n-now!? I don't think I can. My heart can't take this! And m-m-my hands and legs feel like j-jelly!"

"Sorry Phi. Gotta take you there, Sisters orders" Chael stated, pulling the malak up before he started physically pushing him towards their intended destination while Laphicet had an expression of absolute terror.

"Don't worry, we'll be there if you need us" the faunus girl reassured him.

The sound of his pounding heart grew louder and louder as they neared their destination. Laphicet could feel the throbbing sensation pounding on his chest harder and harder as he was being physically dragged towards the head office of the orphanage, though whether it out of fear or excitement he did not know.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a large door as Chael quickly and quite eagerly, knocked on it.

"Come in" a voice from the other side ordered, prompting the boy to open the door as Laphicet and Nana followed suite. Inside, Valerie stood from her office desk as she greeted them, "Good afternoon children. Thank you for bringing Laphicet you two"

"No problem Sister Valerie" Chael proudly stated while Nana kept silent, preferring to let the boy speak on their behalf.

The nun stared at them for a few moments before opening her mouth, "If it is alright with you two, could you both leave Laphicet here with me. This is a very private moment for him"

"Sure thing" the boy stated, while the faunus girl eagerly nodded along.

"See ya later Phi" Chael said as he exited the room.

"I hope you like them. Tell me all about them later, okay?" Nana added as she followed Chael.

As such, it left just the two of them alone in the room. All this time, Laphicet had been fidgeting in silence with a growing panic. Seeing as how nervous and uneasy he was, Valerie took a few seconds to collect herself before asking, "would you like some warm tea. It helps to soothe the nerves"

"Y-yes please" Laphicet nervously answered.

The nun's lips curved into a small smile as she watched the boy take a seat on the chair in front of her. She grabbed the tea kettle and began to pour it over an empty cup before handing it over to Laphicet, who nodded at her, "thank you".

The malak slowly took a sip from the cup before placing it down. After putting it down, he took in a deep breath and let it out.

"Feeling better now?" Valerie asked.

"I 'am. Thank you, Sister Valerie" Laphicet happily answered. It would seem that most of his frantic neurotic state had been cooled down for now.

"Good" the nun said, "then are you ready to meet your parent?"

"Y-yeah sure," he answered with nervous smile, "I guess I'm just a little too nervous and excited about all of this. So, it'll be better if I get to meet them now and know them better."

"That's wonderful to hear" the nun smiled as she commented, "then I'll call them now".

After Valerie dabbled her scroll, a few minutes passed before another door creaked open, which Valerie took notice of. Sensing that imminent arrival, Laphicet also got up from his chair and turned around to face the door in order to get a good look at the people who wanted to take him in.

As the figure emerged from the door, Laphicets' entire facial expression changed drastically, He eyes wide open, his jaw dropped as his single strand snapped straight again. The figure wore an attire he was very familiar with: White cravat with a silver brooch alongside a red stone, light purple jacket with light sleeves. And that was on top of their snowy white hair tied in a side ponytail hanging off the shoulder topped off by sad blue eyes.

"Hello…. Laphicet" Willow greeted.

Laphicet fainted as he dropped to the floor.

* * *

Slowly but surely, Laphicet began to carefully open his eyes once again, the lingering sweet aroma of tea having invaded his olfactory senses and brought him back to consciousness. It was then that he realized that he was in a prone position, staring at the ceiling while lying on the office sofa.

"I see you're awake again" Sister Valerie commented, gaining the attention of Laphicet as he pushed himself to a seated position and turned to look towards her. There he could see that she was in her office chair with Willow taking a seat on the opposite end of the desk.

"I'm so sorry for pushing this all on you so soon, Laphicet" she apologized, "I just didn't think it would be too much for you to register."

"There's no need to apologize, Sister Valerie" Laphicet rebuked, "I was the one overreacting to everything".

"So…..." Laphicet asked, looking over to Willow "is this why you asked me that question a month ago, Miss Willow?"

Willow paused as her eyes widened. "Yes. I…wanted to be certain" she stated, "I hope you understand".

"I see" the malak said, "but why me? I don't think I did anything to earn this".

"That is not true Laphicet!" Willow blurted out.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Laphicet asked, tiling his head in confusion.

"What Willow is trying to say, Laphicet, is that you've helped in more ways than one, especially when she was at her lowest. And for that, she wants to return the favor by giving you a home and a family to look after you" Valerie explained " and …..I want you to have a future better than what we can give", the nun flinched a little when she said those words, almost looking dejected.

"Sister Valerie…." Laphicet nearly sniffled, noticing that she looked almost hesitant to go through with it and yet forced herself in order to give him what she thought would be the best for him. She had been good to him, kind and caring, thoughtful and understanding, looking after his needs for months, just like she promised she would when they first met. A part of him wanted to reject the offer on account of seeing how hard it must've been on her to make this decision yet another part of him wanted to go through with it simply because of the fact that she had gone through all the trouble for this and rejecting it would make all her efforts be for nothing.

And then there was Willow, she was a complete enigma as far as her full story would go. Every time they chatted about each other, she would skip over some details and run circles around other topics, though to be fair, the same could be said about him too. The Willow that he knew of was kind and gentle, yet sad and apathetic at the same time. Something about her reminded him of something, and perhaps this was an opportunity to find out more.

"She can give you what we can't" Valerie continued, "wealth, people to attend to your every need, the best education money can buy, all the books you could ever want and need. Everything you could ask from a Schnee"

"Wait…a Schnee!" Laphicet pointed out, surprisingly shocked by this revelation.

"You didn't know?" Valerie asked before realizing something, "oh right…she didn't tell you".

That wasn't really a good excuse for Laphicet, or so he thought. It might have been a million to one coincidence that the two shared the same first names but there were plenty of other signs that hinted at it, some being even more obvious: something he was more only than willing to scold himself for. There was the fact that her attire was very extravagant, that fact that she had enough free time to travel week after week all the way from Atlas, or the fact that one of her daughters' name was also Weiss. As in, WEISS SCHNEE.

'_I'm such an idiot' _Laphicet chastised himself inside of his own head at the revelation, placing his right hand on his forehead as he closed his eyes in disappointment. Sure, he could be ignorant and sometimes admittedly, oblivious to a fault, but this was just too much even for him. He really regretted not using his scroll to check in for valuable information and keeping himself up to date: the irony of a well-studied bookworm like him completely forgetting or missing out on valuable information was not lost on him.

"You don't have to beat yourself over this too much Laphicet. And in any case, the choice is still yours to make. Nobody is going to force you" Valerie addressed.

"Even if I know now, I'm still not sure about all this. I-I mean, I'd like to and I always wanted to, but I don't think I've done anything to deserve something like this" Laphicet protested, looking down almost in shame. Something about it just didn't sit right with him, since there were probably other children who were much more deserving of such things. Deep down he really wanted it, to be part of a family, yet his conscious was telling him that it was selfish and that such opportunities were unearned for him. After struggling along with various people like Rokurou, Velvet and Eizen, getting into this world's equivalent of royalty just felt excessive. But before he could make a definitive choice, someone else spoke up.

"Laphicet" Willow stated as she came closer to him before kneeling down on one knee, looking at him in the eye, "you're filled to the brim with warmth and kindness, something you shared with me when I needed it the most. That day, when I asked you that question, I realized that you also shouldered my burden all on your own while craving for that same kindness."

"Miss Willow?" Laphicet was taken by how forward she was in stating such things.

"And that's why I want to give back to you something in return" the snow haired woman continued, placing a hand on his cheek, "You don't have to accept this, but…I would very much like it if you were to come with me. You're kind, caring, compassionate, understanding, selfless. You're always trying to help others, even complete strangers like me when you didn't need to. You are everything I wanted in a son, and…...if you were to accept this, I know you'll make the best little brother to my three children."

At that moment, Laphicet was in stunned silence. He was more baffled and confused than anything else, and yet, he was happy, Happy to hear those words spoken, and he couldn't help but giggle internally at the thought of being a little to three older siblings. It was then that a realization hit upon him, the moment he remembered Eizens' creed, the motto of being yourself and following your hearts' desires over everything else, whether it be selfish and cruel, or selfless and kind. And right now, his heart was telling him that he should allow himself to be selfish and get the love and affection he craved from a family.

"Alright" he nodded with a very gentle smile, causing Willow to be taken aback before she smiled back as well. "I'm not accepting this for money or anything else like that. I wanna accept this because, it's what my heart tells me to. And if it tells me to be the best son and the best little brother a family could ask for, then I'll gladly say yes!".

Laphicet immediately felt a tight embrace as Willow wrapped her arms around him as a hand held the back of his head. Looking past the shoulders he could see Valerie looking from a distance with a clear smile on her face as she nodded.

"Thank you my dear, I'm glad you feel this way" Willow happily said, holding back the tears, "we may not be related by blood but I will be your mother and I will always protect you, because you are my dear son"

"My Laphicet Schnee".

* * *

**Notes (Q n A):**

**TPoynt: So, when does this take place? When Willow first showed up, I assumed that she would be adopting Laphicet and he'd be raised with Weiss, but then Willow started talking about the things her daughters have accomplished in spite of her, and now I'm confused. Clearly, Weiss will play a large role in this story, since she's in the character tags, but how old is she now?**

**A: **The story has a one-year gap before Vol 1, so Weiss is 15 while Laphicet is still 10 (by human and malak standards) at the time of this setting. When Willow talks about the things Weiss has accomplished, she meant as a songstress and as heir to the SDC. Of course, as a parent, even the smallest of gains means a big deal to her so she exaggerates it for Laphicet.

**triscythe59: Is Whitley still an infant?**

**A:** No, lol. The official Wiki or any source from RT does not contain Whitley's official age (not ones that I have found anyways) but there are several sources and forums with speculations that based on his height and looks that he might be around 14-15. For this story, I've made him a year younger than Weiss, who'll be 15 by this time so it'll make Whitley 13.


	4. Chapter 4

Laphicet let out a deep sigh as he looked over all the things that he had packed into the suitcase provided for him. There wasn't a lot to begin with but the things that were in his possessions were the ones he held onto dearly since they were the only things left of his old life before he ended up in Remnant. They basically consisted of his pouched bag and the attire he wore originally during his earlier days with Velvet and the others which he continued wearing for a day or two since coming to the orphanage. Since then however, he had refrained wearing that attire once he was given more clothing such as warm coats, beanies, gloves, pants and even shoes more suited for the colder Solitus climate. Instead he kept the attire preserved and maintained as a sort of souvenir from his past alongside his new prized possessions, which now included his notebooks, a bracelet with his name on it made by Nana and an action figure of some character he didn't know given to him by Chael; two items he received during his last two days at the orphanage. He took a good look at the bracelet on his left hand, each single block containing letters held together by a strong string which when combined spelled out his name causing Laphicet to almost try to suppress his tears.

"What's up Phi, you ready?" Chael called out, almost causing Laphicet to jolt out in surprise as he quickly rubbed his eyes to wipe out any tears that might have been there. "Chael…" the malak softly answered with a small smile. Behind the jovial boy, the faunus girl stood, looking almost dejected and sad as he was while she approached him.

"Getting adopted is one thing, but by a Schnee?! Man, you hit the jackpot!" the boy exclaimed, "I'm a little jealous".

"I-I don't know about that one Chael" Laphicet downplayed, lowering his eyes.

"Maybe, but I hope those snobs don't change you. Hate to see it if they turned you into one of them" Chael teasingly replied, yet within the fringes of his words, there was a tinge of sadness he was holding back. "I heard they do bad things to faunus like me and I'm a little worried that you'll be just as bad as them. So I hope you don't become like them" Nana commented as well.

"I'm still going to Laphicet no matter what" the malak insisted, his face brightened with a smile as well, "besides, I still have the presents you both gave me. It's going to keep reminding me of who I 'am and where I came from."

"You're going to take good care of them, right?" Nana suddenly spoke up, her shy demeanor quickly replaced by boldness.

"I'll treasure them forever Nana. Both your bracelet and Chael's action figure" Laphicet answered.

"And…...you're not going to forget about us, right? Not gonna forget about…...me?" she asked, returning to that meek form she once had, grasping her left wrist with her right hand.

"Never" Laphicet replied, shaking his head. But before he could do anything else, the fox girl quickly reached out and embraced him in a tight hug. Taken aback by this sudden act, redness formed around Laphicets' cheeks as he looked at Chael, who shrugged his shoulders before he himself joined in on the act and hugged Laphicet as well, ruffling his hair. The malak eventually gave into it and closed his eyes with a smile. He was glad to count such people among his friends and he'd never take their friendship for granted.

The group embrace lasted for a few more seconds before the trio finally gave each other some space. And just in time too as the cleric Gregory had entered the room. "Are you all set my boy?" he asked as he approached the trio.

"Yeah" Laphicet answered. "Good" the cleric replied, grabbing the suitcase "then follow me. Sister Valerie is waiting for you" he motioned for Laphicet to follow him as he started making his way towards the door to which the malak complied.

"Hey" Chael said, stopping Laphicet in his tracks.

"Let's all get together someday. Doesn't matter the time or place. How's that sound?" the boy requested. Laphicet took a good look at the smiling Chael and could see determination in his eyes, something that surprised the malak since the boy was so laid back and jovial. Turning his gaze towards Nana, he could see that she too was beginning to display that same determined look as she smiled back and nodded, while small droplets of tears hung at the edge of her eyes.

"Yeah" Laphicet said, nodding as he turned around and started walking in the other direction.

* * *

The walk felt like an eternity for Laphicet, every second being spent taking a good look at every little detail of the place since it had dawned on him that this might be the last time, he would ever walk these halls. Whether he admitted to it or not, he had grown fond of the place and leaving it had become more difficult to bear than he thought it would: It brought back memories of the first time he found himself here and followed the nun Valerie through these halls, the first time he saw the photographs and thought they were paintings. In any case, he would savor what sights he could while he was still here.

Eventually, the duo made their way to the receptionist hall where Sister Valerie awaited them near the door towards the entrance. "Looks this is where I stop" Gregory said, jarring Laphicet out of his musings. Laphicet looked over to see that the cleric had gently set his suitcase down as the door to the entrance hall opened and a man in a sharply dressed suit with a hat and white gloves came over, most likely a chaperone.

"Pardon the intrusion but Madam Schnee has arrived and is waiting for her guest. Is everything ready?" the man asked in a very formal tone.

"Almost" Valerie replied, "please let Willow know that Laphicet will arrive soon. In the meantime, you can take the suitcase ahead", she pointed towards the item and motioned for the chaperone to do as requested. "Very well" he nodded before taking the suitcase and leaving the room as Laphicet looked on with interest, noting that this is what laid before his future life in the Schnee household.

"Well then, it looks like this it Laphicet" Brother Gregory spoke. "I must say, I will miss watching you walk these halls with your face buried in books" he admitted as he took a step closer to Laphicet before bending down. "And I'll miss all the apples and oranges you gave me" Laphicet cheerily answered back.

"Oh, is that so? If that's the case, then I'm certainly happy you felt that way" the cleric happily acknowledged. " Before I go…" Gregory said as he reached for his pocket, " Henry , the librarian, couldn't come by today to see you off but he wanted to give you this", he continued as he took out what looked like a pocket watch made of copper which he handed over to Laphicet, who looked over the watch intensely.

As he opened the casing, he saw a small note sticking out. Taking it by the other hand, he put the watch in his pocket as he opened the note. It read:

"_My Dearest Laphicet_

_I'm glad to know that you are getting adopted by the Schnee family. You have a bright future ahead of you and I hope that you will give your warm smile to your new family just as you did for us. As for me, I do not have much time in this world, but please do not mourn for me, I've lived my life to the best that I could and now it is time for you to live out yours. Even if you are now a prince among men, in your heart please still remain that humble boy that I know you are. Goodbye my little scholar. I will hold on to the books you borrowed dearly._

_Your eternal friend –_

_Henry._

Laphicet lowered his head while clutching to the letter as tightly as he could. Small droplets of tears started forming in his eyes as he tried to suppress them, only for a hand to gently pat him on the shoulder, motioning for him to turn around. As he did so, Valerie embraced him in the tight hug that lasted a few seconds before she let go.

"Laphicet…" she said gently as she wiped his tears with her hands, " I know this isn't easy for you but you must know that we will never forget you and you will always have a home here" she reassured him with a smile, cupping both her hands on his cheeks, " so please don't cry. And besides, you're going to move to your new home now and meet your new family. Aren't you excited?"

"Y-yeah. I 'am" the malak replied. "Good then. I don't want us to be parting ways in tears. So, turn that frown upside down and smile for us. Can you do that?" the nun requested, still smiling as she stood straight again. "Alright Sister Valerie" Laphicet answered, shaking his head to get himself out of that dour mood before curving his lips into a smile.

"That's more like it" the nun approved. "Now then, I have a parting gift for you as well" she said, reaching over for a file book at the receptionist desk before coming over to Laphicet. "This is a physical copy of your birth and adoption certificate. Your mother has the original documents but I want you to have this and read it later" Valerie continued as she handed the file over to Laphicet. "since your origin is lacking in many areas, it contains a lot of details we made up for you. Like your birthday".

"My birthday?" Laphicet asked, immediately looking up and tilting his head. "Yes. You did not have a birthdate or even knew when you were born so we took the liberty of giving you one. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so look this one up soon, alright?" she teased, grinning as the boys' face lit up, as he quickly understood what she meant. He never had a birthday or actually knew what a birthday even was. The idea of someone remembering the day of their birth and celebrating it was strange yet so intriguing. The joys and the smiles on the other children's' faces when they celebrated their birthday excited him and right now, he was gleaming with joy at the thought of finally having a birthday of his own, upon which he immediately ran up to Sister Valerie and hugged her.

"Thank you so much. Not just for this but for everything. I'll never forget you Sister Valerie!" he exclaimed.

"And I will never forget you too Laphicet. You are special to me, remember that" she affirmed, ruffling his hair before the two let go. "Now go, your mother is waiting for you" Valerie said.

Laphicet nodded, turning around and walking towards the door. He looked back to see the two clerics staying behind as they waved at him, a gesture he returned in kind. No matter what would happen now and what his future had in store for him, he would never forget the kindness that they showed him. His time in the orphanage was truly was one of the most stable and happiest times he had in his life despite all of his uncertainties and the memories he had with them along with the souvenirs he received would be cherished forever.

* * *

Making his way past the entrance door and taking a few steps forward, Laphicet saw that Willow had parked a car right at the entrance in anticipation for his arrival. She was standing next to the backseat door of the car as the chaperone stood beside her. "Are you all set Laphicet?" the snow haired woman asked, smiling upon seeing his arrival.

"I'm ready Mis- I-I mean mo- I…. I mean, I'm ready to go" the malak conjured up an answer, nervously fretting while doing so. He had to consciously remind himself that she was his adoptive mother now and addressing her like he usually did just making it extremely awkward for him. At the same time, he still didn't feel comfortable enough in calling her his mother yet, especially since prior to the adoption she and him were more like close confidants and associates. Still, he felt that he would eventually come around and told himself that such feelings of discomfort would eventually fade as they both become more accustomed to being mother and son. For now, he would just try to dance around the issue whenever they talked, mostly by answering directly or indirectly while avoiding a scenario in a conversation where he had to address her.

Fortunately, much to his relief, the woman didn't seem to mind his refusal to call her 'mother'. Willow probably felt the same way, though not as much as Laphicet, which made her understand how he was feeling about all of this and opted to give him as much space as possible on the matter.

"Alright" she said, nodding with a smile as she motioned for the chaperon to open the back door of the car before entering shortly. It wasn't the first time Laphicet had seen a car nor was it the first time he had been in a vehicle. The orphanage would organize trips for the children on buses to the nearby town of Glayde where they could explore and enjoy some of the sites of the locales with supervision. If they were particularly in a festive mood, they would even organize a dinner at a restaurant or watch movies at the local theatre. Laphicet certainly enjoyed those even though that was the extent to which he had explored Remnant for the time being.

Back to the topic of cars, while it wasn't the first time Laphicet had seen one, he could tell that this car was more along the lines of those with wealthier tastes, as expected of a Schnee. Moderately sized, sleek, streamlined and smoothened curve made it stand out from the boxier ones he had seen prior. Quickly snapping out of his musings, Laphicet followed suit and entered the interior of the car as the chaperone closed the door and entered the drivers' seat.

Once inside, he could only marvel at the beautiful design of the interior. There were four seats, two of them facing the other in the opposite direction. The malak could see that Willow had already taken a seat facing towards the front of the car, and so Phi opted to sit in the opposite direction. As he sat down, the seats' white leather just felt comfortable to lie his back on. After putting his seat belts on, Laphicet looked around with awe at the things that were present in the car: a miniature table with a few books at the side door with a television monitor at the front and backside of the seats. Conversely on Willows' side, instead of a table there a small cabinet in its place, though since it remained closed, the contents were still a mystery to him. The car started moving shortly as Laphicet continued looking around.

"It is amazing isn't it?" Willow stated, looking straight at Laphicet with a smile. "Yeah!" Laphicet enthusiastically replied, to which Willow let out a giggle.

"Well, this is nothing compared to what you are about to see soon" she answered back, confusing the boy as to what she could've meant. Still, it would seem that they had a long way to go and being that this was the first time he would be venturing beyond the borders of the orphanage and the town, he allowed himself to indulge in high expectations.

The drive through the town was relatively mundane all things considered and the two of them really didn't chat much, preferring to peer through their windows to watch the sights pass by. Eventually, they reached an area that Laphicet could only comprehend as a sort of port for private and commercial transport through while Laphicet had been on ships before, such as the Van Eltia being the most prominent one, they were meant for travelling across seas, so when he found out, much to his surprise with everything else on Remnant, that there were ships that could fly and travel through the air, he was bewildered to say the least. Even if he had eventually learned to just accept things for what they are in this world, the concept still fascinated him.

Their car stopped at a spot much more isolated from the rest of the port whereby the chaperone opened their doors while the two unbuckled their seatbelts and exited the car. It was then that Laphicet had understood by what Willow had meant by earlier. Staring at the somewhat large private airship, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. Sure, it was still smaller than the other transport ships and it definitely seemed closer to a bullhead in size, but relatively speaking it was still bigger than the car.

"Come Laphicet" Willow asserted, heading to the ramp where another chaperone stood by while the first one had already picked up his suitcase and handed it over to the cargo door. Laphicet trailed behind before he eventually reached the entrance ramp where the chaperone bowed to the two of them. "Good evening Madam Schnee, the pilot is ready for takeoff. Please enjoy your trip" he formally announced. As the two entered the ship, Laphicet couldn't help but feel a little strange at the idea of someone bowing to him, even in courtesy. The feeling wasn't really a good or bad one, just a bit odd for him since these types of things felt better suited to someone like Prince Percival and not him. Still, it seems that he would have to get used to these sorts of things as a byproduct of living under the Schnees.

As the door shut and Laphicet entered the cabin, he was greeted by two sharply dressed individuals: one male and one female, both wearing a formal attire consisting of full sleeve shirts, navy blue vests, and a trouser and skirt of the same color scheme as the vests respectively. "Welcome sir, we hope you'll enjoy your trip" the female said as they both bowed halfway with a smile, "If there is anything you need, please let us know" the male attendant added. Unsure as to how he should reply to their courtesy, he gave an awkward smile with a nod before moving on; these things were definitely going to be weird to get used to. He found that the interior of the airship was bigger than its external shape would suggest. It was quite spacious and much like the car, was well designed for luxury as well. It consisted of four leather chairs neatly place on four corners with a sofa couch and a small table placed on opposite sides of the port and starboard with four large monitors at the end of each corner. Seeing that Willow had already claimed a seat on one of the four chairs, Laphicet did the same on the opposite end as the female attendant came over and asked him to put on his seatbelt.

Phis' heart started pounding in an emotion mixed with fear and excitement as the engine started humming and the ship began moving: this would be the first time that he would experience air travel and the thought of being so high in the sky was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. He looked over to see his adoptive mother on the other side, smiling at him while remaining calm. She was probably used to the entire experience and it probably seemed trivial for her.

Suddenly, the ship picked up incredible speed immediately before lifting itself off the ground and took off for the skies. Laphicet felt like the chair was pulling his stomach which had suddenly become empty. For the initial part of the takeoff, the malak could only clutch his chair tightly as the plane shook while his mother sat inhumanly calm at the whole ordeal. Eventually, the ship reached the necessary altitude and the shaking had stooped as the room became still. So still in fact, that his sense of verticality returned and he felt like he was in an ordinary room. Of course, looking towards the window warned him otherwise and the altitude on which they were in sent chills up his spine.

When the signal to remove the seatbelts was turned on, Willow did so calmly, only to see that Laphicet was still clutching onto his seat tightly as he shut his eyes. Realizing that this was his first flight and as such, finding his experience a little terrifying, Willow got up from her chair as she moved closer towards him and sat in the sofa next to him.

"Quite different from sitting in a car isn't it, Laphicet?" Willow addressed.

"Y-yes!" he answered, still closing his eyes intensely. Seeing as how terrified the boy was, Willow flinched before reaching out for his hand and held it gently. "Are you afraid Laphicet" she asked softly.

"I…. I' am" he confessed, slowly opening his eyes to look at her.

"I see" she acknowledged, "but do you trust me to keep you safe, like you trusted me before?"

"I trust you, it's just…...well…. it feels a little scary right now" he informed.

"I understand. But I want you to know that this is perfectly normal and our flight will be over soon, so you have nothing to fear, alright?" Willow reassured him.

"Alright" Laphicet conceded, nodding his head, to which Willow let go of her hand.

The trip lasted for another 30 minutes, though it felt a lot longer than that for Laphicet who was somewhat shaken by the ordeal, though he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that felt slightly thrilled by the experience. During that time, he had refused any sort of food or drink on account of his stomach feeling like it was moving all over the place. He didn't feel any sort of dizziness, drowsiness or headache, which he counted as fortunate, though at times his body felt light as a feather and as a result, he felt like he was floating in the air while still sitting in his chair. Not even the comfort of leather nor the loud blaring of the news on the monitor could mitigate this woozy experience.

However, as they neared their destination, something caught Laphicets eye that made him forget the awful feeling for a moment and just bask in the incredible sight that he was about to witness. The pilot had announced that they were nearing the city of Atlas, something Willow took notice of and called to Laphicets' attention. "Laphicet, take a look at the window" Willow suggested, snapping Laphicet out of his drowsy state. Complying, the malak carefully, almost hesitantly, looked to his window only to drop his jaw at what he was seeing.

He had only seen Atlas in some of the books and scrolls that presented it, but seeing is in person finally allowed him to get a grand sense of the actual scale that was this city. It was …. massive and…. beautiful. A gargantuan floating island city atop another city below, which was stated to be Mantle.

"Wow" Laphicet said, unable to truly find the words needed to describe what he was seeing at the moment. The glistening blue and white shone beautifully across the crimson dusky sky, and he was certain that it was even more beautiful come nightfall, though for now, he was content with basking in its' majesty in its current state.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Willow chimed in, "and it's going to be your home now Laphicet." Hearing that, Laphicet could only look at her with a big grin on his face as he let out a laugh, the feeling of fear being forgotten for the moment.

By the time the flight had stopped, he was just happy to be able to touch solid ground again, though he did try to make an effort to greet back at the attendants as they bid him farewell, as much of a struggle as it was. Eventually, they got on another car as they embarked on their final journey towards Laphicets' new home. On the way, the young malak eyes gleamed and his face glowed at what he was experiencing. The sights, the sounds, the smells, it was all incredible for him. None of the cities he had ever visited compared to this. Buildings that reached the skies and beyond, incredible visual imageries plastered all over them, moving pictures with voices and all sorts of people moving about. He felt like he could lose himself in it and it would still take him over a hundred years just to experience everything it had to offer, something he as a long-lived being could do.

* * *

Klein Sieben knew that the anticipated day had arrived when Madam Willow told him that she was leaving for the orphanage and would return with their new arrival. Just a few minutes ago he had received a message via his scroll ordering him to standby at the entrance and get ready help make their new guest feel at home. Thus, he stood there diligently, tidying himself up and adjusting his shirt and vest, making sure that there wasn't a speck of dust when the time came for him to greet the new Schnee. It would be the first time he would meet this "Laphicet" and quite frankly, he was curious as to what kind of a child he was that he could make someone like the Schnee matriarch take an interest in him. A part of him was certainly excited to see a new family member within the Schnees and yet, another part of him dreaded the potential headaches that awaited him.

He was rather surprised by the fact that Willow had decided on adopting a child, especially with how divided the entire family was at the moment. He was sure to expect more problems down the line but he felt that it was not his place to ask such things. Serving the household faithfully since before Winter was even born, Klein felt that it was his duty to hold the family together regardless of where he stood on things; especially with how tense the atmosphere was at present. He recalled the weeks prior when the both Willow and Jacques had a huge fight over the adoption of a fourth child. It was the first time he had seen them interact in such a long time and sadly, it wasn't a positive one either. Both were stubborn and unrelenting, but Klein always felt that many of the issues of the family traced their source back to Jacques. He didn't hear all of the conversation but by the end of it, he heard Jacques finally relenting on the adoption but refusing to acknowledge Laphicet nor wanting to do anything with him. He was actually surprised that Jacques even agreed to anything in the first place and for that, he counted it as a win. Still, he felt rather bad for the fourth child for what he was about to experience, though he personally vowed to take it upon himself to make his stay as pleasant as possible. He may not be a Schnee by blood but that was no excuse to mistreat him.

After a few minutes of waiting, the car had finally arrived at the entrance gate before making its way to the front door of the mansion. He stood upright as the door opened and Willow emerged, follow by a small child no older than nine or ten. This would be the first time Klein was meeting Laphicet, or 'Master Laphicet' as it would be from now on. He was genuinely surprised that Madam Willow had decided to embarked on such an action, especially when the relationship with her other children were complicated as it was. On top of that, he couldn't deny that even with the Schnee name given to him, the boy would always be looked on as an outsider, whether it be malicious or not. His golden-brown hair and forest green eyes were a sharp contrast to the snow-white hair and icy blue eyes that the rest of the Schnee had. Klein was concerned that the rest wouldn't accept him as part of the family.

And yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but admire the difference in the boys' features. It gave him a kinder and warmer image over the cold and collected demeanor of the other Schnees and he hoped that it would turn over a problem into a blessing.

"Welcome back Madam Schnee" he greeted with a bow, before turning to face the young boy. "Ah, and you must be Master Laphicet. My name is Klein Sieben and I will be handling all of your wants and needs, little Master" he stated, giving another bow.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Klein" Laphicet replied with big smile, causing both adults to let out a chuckle as the malak looked at them, confused. "Please, Master Laphicet, it is unbecoming of someone of your standing to formally address me like that. Just 'Klein' will do" the butler corrected. Laphicet paused for a while before giving a nod, understanding what he meant.

"Laphicet" Willow addressed.

"Yes?" Laphicet answered, looking at her.

"I'm sorry to tell you this right now but I have some important business to attend to. Klein here will show you around. Should you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask him, alright?" Willow said, while Klein nodded in agreement.

"Oh. Umm… ok" Laphicet answered with uncertainty, feeling like he was already getting thrown into the unknown. "Don't worry, this will be your new home now, so you should familiarize yourself with it. And I'll meet you at dinner so you won't be alone" Willow reassured him as she knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ok" Laphicet replied again, this time with more confidence and certainty. "Good" Willow asserted with a smile as she got up. "Klein, I leave Laphicet in your hands. Please Look after him" she ordered as she left through the entrance of the manor.

"Of course, Madam" Klein complied, picking up the suitcase that was dropped by the chaperone as he started walking towards the entrance of the manor. "Come Master Laphicet, I will lead you to your new room" he requested. "Alright" Laphicet agreed as he followed the butler.

Walking through the Schnee manor, Laphicet felt like he was inside a castle made of ice. Most of the interior consisted of white tiles with blue or gray accents with a large number of columns and arches in their architecture. The whole scenery looked and felt very transparent, fitting for their icy imagery. There were massive windows overlooking a mountainous view and hallways that seemed never-ending. As he kept following the butler, he started to notice the manors' more eccentric designs, one consisting of a walkway guarded by two massive serpents, something that startled him quite a bit.

"Whoa!" he gasped, looking at the statue. "Rest assured Master Laphicet, they're inanimate as can be" Klein commented, "but we must keep moving. There is much more to see".

Laphicet had to wonder if the manor was really this big if they had to keep on walking further down the hallway, before going up a stairway guarded by two massive statues that resembled knights: It certainly made the orphanage look like a shack. They continued walking through the upper walkways before the butler eventually stopped at a door.

"We are here now" he stated as he opened the door and stood on the side, letting Laphicet know that he had to enter first. "after you little Master".

The word 'surprised' couldn't really put to justice the look on Laphicets' face. He was certainly taken aback by the what was in there. It was incredibly spacious and definitely a lot bigger than the bedrooms the orphans shared. There was a large bed on one side of the area sticking perpendicular to the wall; a king sized one to be exact, with four canopy pillars holding the top sheets together, the lower part was covered in a red sheet with a thick white blanket in blue floral pattern and finished with three large pillows of light blue color. Beside the bed was a wooden bench, while to its left stood a large oak wardrobe with a large mirror alongside a smaller vanity mirror and drawers beneath it on its side.

On the opposite side was a large fireplace surrounded by arch shaped bookshelves containing all manner of books. Nearby was a large study table along with a smooth wooden chair subsided by elegant designs and finally a white furry rug rested nearby. There weren't any windows though, instead two doors on the front and on the left side covered the remains of the room instead.

Laphicet stared and looked around in awe for a few minutes, as Klein simply watched with a smile.

"Forgive the lack of windows Master Laphicet, your father Master Jacques objected to creating a new room from scratch just for you and so we had to repurpose one of the guestrooms instead. But please don't fret, for the door on the front has a balcony that at least lets you overlook one of the hallways and Madam Willow has spared no expense in making this one as presentable and comfortable as possible."

"You don't have to worry Klein. This room is amazing as it is!" Laphicet reassured with excitement in his tone, to which Klein heaved a sigh of relief. "Then I'm glad you like your new room sir" he said as he started unpacking the suitcase, "oh, and before we do anything else, you should freshen up after such an arduous journey in the bathroom to the left side of the balcony door. I have already prepared a bath for you there so you should have no worries getting cleaned up. In the meantime, I will settle your personal belongings and arrange for a new attire for you. Don't worry, I won't pry into your personal affairs and will handle them with the utmost respect".

"Thank you, Klein. I'll do just that" Laphicet readily complied. It seemed strange to have a personal attendant taking care of all his needs especially since he used to be the one who served someone at one point in his life and not someone else serving him. But he figured that he probably should get used to this new lifestyle even if he felt a little guilty about the idea of someone being supposedly beneath him. At the very least, he was going to try to remind himself of where he came from and make a conscious effort to be kind to everyone around the manor.

The bathroom itself was nothing to scoff at: while smaller than the bedroom in terms of size, it was still several times more spacious than ones he was accustomed to, even the ones before he ended up in remnant. The strangest part of it all was the fact that this was his personal bathroom and thus, he had no need to share it with anyone else. It contained all of the essentials needed to function, including a shower and a sink with a mirror to brush his teeth in, alongside several hygiene and toiletry items like soaps, shampoos, toothpaste and more on a cabinet, as well as a personalized stool for him to reach that sink. _'They really did think of everything' _he thought. There was also a towel stand alongside several folded washcloths and towels, a bathrobe just big enough to fit him, bathroom slippers, a laundry basket and even a floormat in case things got slippery.

But what was most unique about the bathroom was the presence of a single, round shaped bathtub that took up most of the space. This wasn't the first time he had been on a bathtub before but it certainly had been a long time since he got to enjoy them. As Klein had stated, the water had already been filled with warm water and the surface was covered in bubbles. Deciding not to waste any more time, Laphicet discarded his clothing and jumped right in.

After several minutes, Laphicet emerged from the bathroom mostly dry while wearing a bathrobe with a towel on his head. Drying up the top of his head, he walked over to the bed as he noticed some neatly folded clothes laying there. He assumed it was Klein's doing considering his line of work and his request for him to get ready. Taking his time to put on the attire starting with the trunks, Laphicet noticed that Klein had kept his word and ensured that most of his belongings remained intact. The copper watch, the bracelet and the action figure were neatly placed at the study table alongside his study notes and the documents. All the same, he fairly assumed that some of his clothing were either placed in the wardrobe and drawers or taken out for laundry. Once he was done changing, he went over to the wardrobe to get a good look at what he was wearing. Looking at the mirror, he could see his overall attire in better detail. It consisted of a white full sleeve buttoned up shirt covered by a blue simple vest, dark blue trousers and a pair of black shoes. It felt a bit stuffy to wear, in contrast to what he usually wore at the orphanage or his original attire. Not helping matters was the fact that in tandem with the suit his unruly hair made his head look disproportionate to the rest of his body even if it weren't so, unnerving him slightly.

Still, he wouldn't really get the time to mop about as a knock came through the door, taking Laphicet by surprise. "Pardon the intrusion Master Laphicet but have you finished sir?" Klein asked from the other side of the door. "Oh, um... yeah, I 'am" the malak replied. Taking this as a greenlight to enter, Klein opened the door and waltzed in, observing his charge. "You look excellent young sir" he complemented, "though dinner is still an hour away, so in the meantime would you like to take a tour of the manor instead?".

"Thank you, Klein, I'd love to" Laphicet answered, in response to both the compliment and the request.

"Very good then, follow me" Klein bowed before turning sideways to make way for the young boy to pass through.

* * *

The tour mostly consisted of backtracking through some of the places the two had walked through before, although Klein did introduce Laphicet to several new areas as well, like the piano room and the room with a window overlooking the main courtyard. He watched as many of the manors' servants performed their daily chores, only to move out of the way as he and Klein made their way through, bowing as he walked past them. At the same time, he could hear some of them whisper behind his back, especially when they thought he was out of their earshot and while he couldn't properly hear what they were actually saying, he deduced that many of their conversation was based around the circumstance of his arrival and to be honest, he'd be lying if he told anyone that it didn't bother him.

Putting that thought aside, he found it strange that he hadn't met his new father or his new siblings as well. When asked about it, Klein simply said that Jacques was busy in his study, while Winter wouldn't be home for a week due to her duties as part of the Atlas military. On the other hand, he admitted that Weiss wouldn't be present at the moment as she was busy rehearsing for an event and Whitley…...

"Hmmmmm".

Whitley was right behind the both of them, startling the duo. He paid no mind to their shock and continued to diligently observe (inspect to be more precise) Laphicet from head to toe with a hand on his chin while the other was tucked behind his back.

"Umm…A..a….a….aa" Laphicet tried to conjure up some sort of sentence to strike up a conversation with him, but was finding it rather difficult at the moment on account of how uncomfortably close the white haired boy was in proximity to him, as if personal space was meant to be violated.

"Ah, good evening Master Whitely" Klein replied, attempting to save this awkward situation. Somehow it seemed to have worked as Whitley finally got off Laphicet and turned to face Klein. "Good evening to you too Klein" he answered back, turning to face his butler before converting his full attention back to the younger boy. "So, you must be this Lamphicent that everyone has been making all this fuss about" he rolled his eyes as he deadpanned, "hmph, and I thought mother had gotten rid of all those animals in the garden."

"It's Laphicet. And what are you getting at?" Laphicet corrected, narrowing his eyes with a frown on his face.

"Oh nothing" Whitely nonchalantly replied, "just curious as to why mother went through all that trouble to take you into our household, that's all. Are you a descendant of some special extinct family? Are you part of some sort of special lineage that could benefit the Schnees?" Whitely asked as he gazed at the smaller boy through the corner of his eyes.

"I- I don't think so" Laphicet answered. Technically he did have a unique lineage, at least where Remnant was concerned, since he wasn't even human to begin with and to his knowledge, was the only malak in Remnant so far.

"Is that so?" Whitely hummed, staring at Laphicet again for an uncomfortable amount of time. "That's disappointing. So, it does seem that mother can't keep her hands off another caged pet" he snarked with furrowed brows.

Hearing this, Laphicet narrowed his glare as he readied to give him an earful, all the while Whitely ignored him, blissfully looking at the other direction, unaware of who he might've angered. Klein looked on nervously, getting ready to intervene if necessary. It would seem his fear had come true earlier than expected. But before any of that could happen, Whitley opened his mouth again, "In any case, it doesn't really concern me. Mothers reasons are her own and they don't interest me much".

"Uh huh" Laphicet said, with a deadpanned look.

Whitley rolled his eyes, moving his hand in dramatic fashion as he continued, "just remember that even if you now carry the Schnee name, it amounts to little in the face of a true Schnee. As long as you keep that in mind, I might even consider gracing you with my presence."

"Right..." Laphicet replied with a snarky tone, making it obvious that he was getting more and more irritated by him. Yet at the same time, Whitley paid absolutely no mind to it and was probably oblivious to Phi's irritation.

"Well then, it seems I have wasted enough time on you. I will be taking my leave now, after all, there are so many things in this house that require my supervision" he curved his lips into an impish grin, "see you later…. little brother" he parted with those words; words that dripped with condescending compassion. It annoyed Laphicet to no end as he watched Whitley walk away, and if he was being honest, he couldn't stand another second of his presence. The thought that this snob was now going to be his older brother probably made that feeling worse. And if this was what his future had in store for him, then he just wanted to fry his brother with his malak artes. He was in that much of a sour mood.

Thankfully, Klein noticed the ruined mood that his young charge was in and took it upon himself to do something about it. Leaning in closer, he tapped on Laphicets' shoulders to get his attention, which seemed to have at gotten him to take notice of.

"Klein, I don't thin- "Laphicet cut himself short when he noticed that the color in the butler's eyes had changed from light brown to blue. "Oh, s-sorry to have startled you master. *achoo! * "

"K-Klein?" Laphicet looked on with curiosity, not sure what to really make of this as the butlers' demeanor seemed to have changed as well.

" Don't think too much on what he says. Want to know why?" he continued, with eyes now red and his tone more assertive and aggressive.

"Ummm….no?" Laphicet said tilting his head.

"Because he's compensating for not getting enough huggies from his big sisters. Ohohohoho" Klein answered in an effeminate tone, cheeks blushing with pink like their eyes were at the moment.

Laphicet let out a chuckle, unsure if it was because of the jokes or the thought of seeing so many sides to a butler he thought was polite but professional. In any case, it did help him forget about his conversation with Whitley for the moment and lifted his sour mood.

Seeing his charge happy again, Klein changed back to his default persona as his eyes shifted back to light brown. "I'm glad you're feeling better now, Master Laphicet" he said.

"I 'am. Thank you Klein" Laphicet jovially replied.

"Well then, shall we continue?"

* * *

Klein guided him through the remaining wings and areas of the manor, personally grateful that the rest of the tour went by without a hitch. If an introduction with Whitely began on such a sour note, he personally shuddered to think what would've happened if they had encountered Weiss or Jacques. He knew both of them very well, considering he helped raise Weiss while serving the family for a long time and knowing what was going on at the moment, he really didn't feel all too good about Laphicet being alone with either of them. With Winter, he could safely assume that at worst, she'd simply ignore him but Weiss was a whole different scenario since unlike Whitely, Weiss didn't mince around with words and she certainly was not going to take the idea of a complete stranger suddenly being a Schnee and taking all the attention away from her mother, whom she desperately sought for acknowledgement, very well. This would bod badly for the both of them. At the very least he was praying to whatever deity was around, hoping that Jacques didn't start taking notice of Laphicet.

By the time Klein had finished guiding Laphicet around, it was almost time for dinner. Willow was already waiting for the both of them in the dining hall. Once the two had arrived, Klein respectfully dismissed himself in order to give the two of them some privacy as they both sat across from each other respectively, something Laphicet noticed was becoming a recurring trend.

The chefs came in with plates of food; morsels big enough to feed four more people if need be, something Laphicet thought was a bit excessive. Still he couldn't deny the heavenly aroma that they gave off and the taste itself was out of this world. That being said, he couldn't really bother himself to listen to the names of the dishes that were being described by the servants, though filet mignon, caviar and smoked salmon sounded posh and catchy enough for him to remember. Part of him was worried that his table manners may not be up to their standards, even if he was accustomed to using spoons, forks and knifes to eat, though being new here, the excuse that he had not been taught such things would suffice, even if they were likely to draw in rumors.

The two ate their meals in silence, partly because either of them was unsure as to what to really talk about and partly due to the fact that talking while eating was an unwritten ill omen that transcended many boundaries. Additionally, he found it odd that only the two of them were having dinner. He had expected the other members to be joining in as well, even if it would be at the expense of meeting Whitley again, much to his displeasure. It was only when the two were nearly done with their foods, that Willow wiped her mouth with a napkin and cleared her throat before speaking in a soft voice, "So tell me, Laphicet. What do you think of…all of this?".

Laphicets' face widened as he caught by surprise, though it quickly brightened into a smile. "It's amazing!" he exclaimed before quickly reigning himself in, "but…. it's still a lot to take in".

Willows lips turned into a small smile when hearing this, though it did seem wobbly. "I see. I'm sorry that it's a bit too much for you at the moment, I…. know it's not quite what you were used to at the orphanage" she addressed.

"You don't have to apologize mo- I…...mean, I do like it here and I think I'll get used to this place quickly" Laphicet quickly answered. Yet again, much to his shame, he couldn't bring himself to address her as his mother. Somehow the words never fully manage to escape his lips. It infuriated him because Whitley, despite his snark and words dripping with disdain, was quick to call him "little brother". He really hoped he'd get over this barrier sooner rather than later.

"Then I'm glad to hear that. And you don't have to call me… by that name, if it bothers you" Willow assured him. The malak was surprised by how she could read through him and understand what was going through his head at this time. He really didn't feel like talking about it now but he was happy that she respected his boundaries.

"Thank you" he gently replied "but I'm not sure about what the others feel about all of this. I met Whitley today and he didn't seem to like me at all. I don't know if Winter and Weiss feel the same way. I was excited to be their little brother, but…... I don't know anymore" he continued, looking almost dejected.

Willow could see the doubt creeping through the boys' mind, no doubt from the sad look on his face. "Laphicet I…" she struggled to find the words to comfort, mainly because his fears were correct and she partly felt guilty for putting him in this situation.

"But Klein is funny and really nice to me. I like him a lot already! So, if Klein is around, I think it's going to be alright" he said, his mood suddenly shifting, almost as if he was trying to quickly hide that sadness and doubt from her. As someone who knew how to mask emotions, Willow really did didn't buy into what Laphicet was trying to do. But for the sake of keeping things together this early, she played along.

"I'm glad you feel that way about Klein. He's been serving our family for a long time now and he is truly wonderful to be around" she added, "so if you ever need something, just seek out Klein."

"Okay" Laphicet nodded in agreement to this.

"Laphicet, I know things aren't as perfect as you expected them to be here" she stated getting up from her seat as she made her way to Laphicet, "but I made a promise to protect you and take care of you. And if you'll give me that chance, I will do everything in my power to make things right" she continued, helping the boy get off from his chair as she lowered herself to his level.

Laphicet nodded with a solemn look on his face, "If that's the case, then I'll work hard to be the son you want". Willow couldn't help but laugh upon seeing the look determination on such a small face, as she wiped out crumbs of food from his mouth with a napkin.

"Thank you".

* * *

It was strange feeling for Laphicet: he was more accustomed to sleeping on ships and hard beds at inns and orphanages. So, lying in a bed this soft made him feel like he was getting sucked into a sinking mudhole. It was smooth and light to the touch, it was comfy; too comfy. The blankets were thick and warm and pillows were fluffy in all the right places. It was way too good for his liking. He really felt like he wasn't deserving of such treatment, yet when he was told that his adopted mother had through all this trouble just for him, he felt a tinge of guilt for unconsciously trying to reject this.

That night, before going to bed he looked over the documents that Sister Valerie had given to him. It contained many of the basic information needed for an individual to create an identity. He looked over the details they gave him such as his height, which much to his dismay, was only 4 ft 8 inches or 142 cm (he felt that it was inaccurate and that he was much taller than that!), his current weight, some he paid little care into, his blood type which was listed as O negative (something he thought was curious since he didn't even know he had a blood type), hair and eye color, his education history humorously filled up as "none" and more. However, the most important aspect of the documents was the date of birth they assigned for him, since he really couldn't explain how being born on a night of a crimson moon connected to a specific year, month or time. Looking at it, it described his date month as 12th of May. His birthyear calculated to him being 10 years old at this moment, something he felt was reasonable, though he would probably have people look upon him with disbelief if he ever showed them his birth certificate when he would be nearing a thousand in the future. Still, he couldn't help but admire the effort she went through just for him. It was perhaps, her own way of giving him a parting gift: His very own birthday. Sister Valerie had been extraordinarily kind to him and he wanted to stay back just so he be near her, but felt that it would be an insult to the hard work she put into just for his future. The same could be said of Brother Gregory and his words the sometimes ended with "my boy", Henry the Librarian with his grandfatherly kindness and last but not least, Chael and Nana, his two best friends at the orphanage, closest to him in age and mentality.

Lying in his bed, his mind crept over the gifts that each of them given him, and as he did so, small droplets of tears forming on his eyes once again. But he quickly wiped them out as he looked over the sheet at the top of the bed. _"I can't wallow in tears like this. They did so much just to get me here" _he scolded himself, feeling that living in pity would be an insult to their memory. _"I'll never forget them. Sister Valerie, Gregory, Mr. Henry, Chael, Nana, Velvet, Eizen, Eleanor, Rokurou, Magilou and even Bienfu. I'll endure, for them" he_ slowly closed his eyes as he fell asleep. It would be the first day in what would be a long and interesting life.

**Notes:**

**I decided to put Laphicet's birthdate under the Taurus dates since his some aspects of his personality matches a lot with the zodiac sign. Also, because the offical Tales of info has no mention of a birthdate for any of the characters. The same goes for his bloodtype, given that he's not even human to begin with, I opted for the universal blood group. **

**That being said, his height is definitely listed as 142cm or 4ft 8 inches under the official tales Wiki. I did some research and height comparisons with RWBY charcters and found out that Neo, the shortest character is still two inches taller than Laphicet. Our poor little Malak barely reaches Weiss's chest with heels and her shoulders without.**

**Other than that, ever since the lockdown, I've got way too much free time now. Anyways, here's my present for all of you under these weird times. If it brings you any sort of comfort or entertainment, then it's good enough for me. **


	5. Chapter 5

"Eyes forward, chin up. Now hold still, my dear"

Laphicet didn't really like the peculiar position that he was in at the moment. Being forced to stand still as a strange looking man meticulously inspected him and took measurements around his warms, shoulders, waist and other parts of his body wasn't something he was comfortable with.

"Hmmm, yes, yes, I see now…" the man said, scribbling on his notebook intensely. "Stay still please" the man ordered Laphicet just as he was about to relax without missing a beat while still looking away. The boy grumbled at the order but complied all the same as he looked towards his butler with pleading eyes. All Klein could do at the moment was shake in response, letting Phi know that this was a job given to him and he couldn't do anything about it.

Earlier in the morning, Laphicet had been ask to meet with the families' personal tailor in order to get the measurements needed to produce his own attire, something that surprised the malak until Klein told him that the clothes he was wearing actually once belonged to Whitley when he was younger while the ones he brought over were ordered to be discarded as they were apparently unbecoming of his new stature. This, of course, sent Laphicet into a panic as he pleaded with Klein not to do it, only to learn that they were already being sent off to be incinerated. Fortunately, at the behest of his young charge, Klein set off to save the one attire Laphicet had specifically requested to be returned to him for sentimental reasons. Once he had returned, he looked like he came out of a warzone with Laphicets old malak attire at hand, much to his charge's relief. Laphicet apologized to Klein for his troubles and promised to be as complaint as possible as compensation.

The tailor himself was a rather peculiar man who spoke with a strange, effeminate accent and carried himself more like a lady than a man. "Can you explain to me why I have to do this again, Klein?" Laphicet asked, visibly uncomfortable as he stood with his arms spread.

" Because for generations, the Schnees have all had clothes personally designed to suit their image and you, Master Laphicet will be no exception" Klein explained, " rest assured, Mister Shaub has been a reliable tailor for the family for decades and I'm certain that you're going to look exceptional with his work. As a matter of fact, most of the clothes that your mother, father, brother and sisters wear, were originally designed by him before they chose something else to suit their tastes. You too will be able to pick something that you feel suits you, eventually. But that is still a long way off".

"Really?" he asked, seemingly surprised and interested with the notion, " so you're telling me that- aaaahahhh" , Laphicet got taken by surprise as the tailor grabbed his right foot and started observing it intensely, causing the boy to lose balance and nearly fall, had it not been for Klein stepping in and catching him from behind.

"You really shouldn't move so much, Master Laphicet" the tailor scolded, oblivious to the fact that he was the cause of it.

"B-But you…..." Laphicet was at a loss for words as he looked up to Klein. "Forgive me, Master Laphicet, I forgot to mention that in addition to being a tailor, he also designs shoes and can be a bit…eccentric" the butler apologized and gave his reasons, though it only caused Laphicet to sigh even more. The first day in the Schnee house and it was already turning crazy.

The malak had to bear several more minutes of the tailors' measuring, before it came to a merciful end. He was just happy to finally let himself loose and not be stiff anymore though it seemed to matter little to this Mr. Shaub.

"So, tell me, Master Laphicet, do you have a specific design in mind that you would want me to create for you. Any specific linen, texture, material?" the tailor asked as he was writing down on his notebook.

Laphicet placed a hand on the back of his head as he answered, "I…don't really know".

"What Master Laphicet means is that since he is inexperienced in this sort of matter, he trusts your experience to produce clothing you think will be worthy of him" Klein chimed in for the boy, much to his relief.

"Yeah, exactly!" he added, dutifully trying to make a good impression.

The tailors' face lit up when he heard those words, "Oh my! Then this presents me with a wonderful opportunity! Rest assured, darling, I have a set already made that will turn you into a Schnee overnight", he said as he put his notebook away and began to pack up the rest of his equipment as well.

"Now then, as you know, I will be quite busy. The clothes will be sent to you shortly today" he announced as he exited the Laphicets room. Klein nodded as Laphicet stated, "See you Mr. Shaub and thank you".

"So now what, Klein?" Laphicet asked, to which the elderly man smiled as he turned towards him to explain their next course of action.

"The next agenda on the assigned list is…. a haircut"

* * *

Surprised was certainly one way of describing how he felt at the moment. Laphicet couldn't really make any sense of the things that were happening and it was wasn't doing him any favors trying to. First a tailor and now a personal hairstylist was conveniently coming over to see him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was joking to himself that the family probably had their own personal sneeze catchers and tear drop collectors, but refrained from speaking it out loud or thinking about it any further out of fear that it might actually turn out to be true. Still, the idea that there was someone out there who would cut hair exclusively for one family and one family only was bit narmy for him, even if he probably should know better from the all the stories he read about royals and blue bloods. After all, some of them even had perfumes manufactured just for them. He just hoped he wouldn't have to meet someone who would take things too far like Percivals' tutor did.

Speaking of Prince Percival, Laphicet thought he could really make do with someone like him right about now; after all, who better to teach him about the ins and outs of royalty and nobility than someone born into that life in the first place. Sadly, it would seem that fate would not be so kind as he had hoped it would and the young malak had to resign to the fact that he had to learn all of this on his own, even if his adopted mother was aware of the kind of life he came from. While on the topic of his adoptive mother, she was nowhere to be seen all morning and when asked about it, Klein simply answered that she was busy doing something. He wouldn't specify what that 'something' was, though the boy had noted that she pulled off the disappearing act the day before as well. Still, she was an adult and Laphicet was more than willing to give her the benefit of a doubt on the basis that she might genuinely be busy. After all, human or not, he was still a kid and still had little experience with the adult world, at least here anyways.

Once the anointed time came in, Klein led Laphicet to one of the rooms where the barber was supposedly waiting for them. Just as they were about the enter the room however, the two heard loud footsteps coming in from behind.

"Klein! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" the voice called out.

Laphicet turned around with Klein to see who it was, only to see that it was a girl, slightly taller than Whitley and probably a few years older than him as well. Just like Willow and Whitley, she had white hair and blue eyes as well, though her hair was much longer than their mothers' as well as the fact that she wore hers in a side ponytail while the expression in her eyes was several times fiercer. Like the rest of the Schnees, the dress she wore was white in color with some red highlights and extravagant design. Still, Laphicet couldn't help but admire her as she had a certain beauty to her that was different from their mother. In fact, through his eyes, she looked like a someone with Velvets' tough exterior and cold demeanor mixed in with Eleanors' poise and elegance.

'_She's really pretty!' _he thought, before his eyes widened and he quickly shook his head in attempt to dispel any sort of thoughts that he felt were inappropriate. Fortunately for him, neither of them seemed to pay any heed, or even look towards his direction at all.

"Oh! Greetings Miss Weiss" Klein answered back with a small bow, though the girl didn't seem to care about it.

"Where were you? You promised me you would attend my rehearsal this morning but I didn't see you anywh-…. oh" Weiss stopped herself mid-sentence as she caught Laphicet through the corner of her eye, startling him somewhat.

"Forgive me, Miss Weiss. I truly wanted to attend your rehearsal, but your mother gave me express orders to guide Master Laphicet through his coronation for today" Klein explained apologetically.

But that seemed to matter little to the white-haired girl, as she continued staring at Laphicet with a menacing glare. "I see, so it was mother…." she said, while her demeanor and mood as a whole seemed to have changed the moment she saw Laphicet and the boy himself couldn't help but feel a little bit intimidated by her. Not since Velvet had he felt such feelings and to be honest, Phi thought she was stabbing right through him with that look. She was so much different from Whitley, and not for the better. As a matter of fact, right about now he was willing to bear Whitelys' insults and snarks, as irritating as they were over standing here and suffering a death glare. He wanted to talk and introduce himself, in a desperate attempt to break this metaphorical ice that was surrounding them but he just couldn't find it in himself to open his mouth.

"Hmph. Never mind then" Weiss scoffed, flipping her ponytail as she turned around and starting walking away.

"I 'am truly sorry Miss Schnee. I assure you; I will make it up to you" the butler offered, though it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as she did not reply and just kept walking away.

The two stood there for a little while more, seemingly a little shaken by the experience. "Good grief! She can be quite a handful, I tell ya" Klein said, his eyes now changed to red as well.

Laphicet tiled his head with furrowed brows and a sad look on his face, "I don't think she likes me very much". Klein could see the dejected look on his charges' face and felt that this was just another repeat of yesterdays' encounter with Whitley. He knew that with each passing day and with each encounter, his fears were coming true.

"Now, now, I'm sure once you glow up and she gets to see more of your adorable face better, your sister will warm up to you" Klein said, rubbing his back as his eyes turned pink, indicating that this was his effeminate personality speaking.

Laphicet glanced at him for a while, before he shifted his dour look into a smile, though faint as it was. "I guess you're right Klein".

As if understanding what was going on through his head, Klein shifted back into his normal state before he gently said, "good. Then shall we be off?"

"Unkempt, uneven lines, strands going in every direction, especially that cowlick! Goodness gracious what a disaster!" the barber blurted out as she paced back and forth between his two sides while inspecting his hair with such intensity, that Laphicet felt like she was going to surgically dissect every strand. The barbers'/stylists' name was apparently Lady Zingano and she was supposedly some sort of famous hair stylist of some industry that Laphicet barely knew about or took little interest in for the moment, much like Mr. Shaub was. That being said, she did seem to know her job and even if he was more than taken aback by the fact that they managed to have a room full of equipment and a chair meant only for cutting hair, he had learned to just go with the flow since everything that's been done at the household seemed to defy logistics for the sake of convenience. Spare no expense indeed.

"So, Madam Zingano, what do you make of it?" Klein asked. Laphicet noted that he was looking almost as nervous as he was when Weiss was giving him the death glare.

"I can manage. A little spit and polish and he will look like a he was never even a commoner in the first place" she quickly and pridefully answered. "Though of course, I'll have to start by removing this…cowlick" she continued, holding that particular strand with just the tip of her thumb and index finger.

Suddenly, Laphicet stared at the mirror with a shocked expression when he heard what the lady had just said.

"No, no, no, no, no. Please, anything but that one. Please, please, please" he desperately pleaded. The other two were just as shocked to see him overreact to the announcement. Laphicet himself was just as surprised: it was as if his body and mind were doing this on their own. He didn't know why he was so protective of that cowlick. Maybe he just liked it a lot.

"No can do, my dear. I'm afraid I have to remove that cowlick. It stands out in the most repulsive of ways" she vehemently rejected his plea.

It was at this moment that Laphicet turned towards his butler with pleading eyes. "Klein please, tell her not to cut this one. She can do whatever she wants with my hair, but please don't let her not to cut this one!" he begged, desperately in fact.

Klein felt like he was put in a rather strange position when his charged begged him. The stylist herself was staring at him with a frown as one brow was raised, as if waiting for his input. Now, Zingano was a veteran in her profession, and if she said something was bad, who was he to argue (and he didn't have hair on his anymore). On the other hand, it was his duty to heed his charges' commands and keep his wellbeing as his top priority. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he finally came up with an answer.

"Well, if Master Laphicet insists on it, I suppose we'll have to comply with his wishes and spare that strand of cowlick. And he did say that you could with the rest of his hair as you pleased" he suggested.

"Hmmm" the barber murmured long and hard, with a hand on her chin and her eyes towards the mirror. "I suppose it does add a unique…flavor. Very well, the cowlick stays".

Hearing that Laphicet heaved a sigh of relief as he looked towards Klein with a bright smile. Klein nodded back with a smile of his own, and for a moment there, it looked as if he had seen the first genuine smile from Laphicet.

"Now, I will need full concentration for my work to bear fruition. Which means, you need to wait outside" Lady Zingano ordered, as she pointed at the door.

Klein was a little take aback by her brazenness but didn't think much to argue on it. "Umm….as you wish? Please do take care of Master Laphicet" he said, as he bowed to Laphicet, who nodded back, before walking out the door.

Much time had passed as Klein looked at the hands turning on his pocket watch while he patiently waited for the makeover to finish. Putting the watch back into his pocket, he paced back and forth in anticipation before the door finally opened and the stylist came out first.

"Not my finest work but it will do" she stated as she stepped aside and motioned her hand for Laphicet to step forward. As he did so, Klein face lit up with a huge grin while he marveled at the new look. His left side had been brushed back before being tied into a short little ponytail at a low angle on the backside while the bangs on the front were shaped around his right side of his face. The cowlick strand that had been spared now sprung up even higher and stood out even more. In a way, it resembled the way Winter styled her hair, and he couldn't be happier about it. "This is the new template for him. Make sure you follow this style for him" the woman ordered as she took her leave. "Will do. Thank you once again" Klein said as he bade her farewell.

"S-so, is it alright?" Phi nervously asked.

"More than alright, Master Laphicet. You look spectacular!" he exclaimed, proudly. "As a matter of fact, your new hair looks exactly like the way Miss Winter keeps hers."

"Really?" the malak asked, his shyness slowly fading away as his curiosity took over.

"Yes indeed. In fact, I'm sure she'll be pleasantly surprised by it. As will Miss Weiss and Master Whitely" Klein continued. Unfortunately, the answer had a reverse effect of making Laphicet happy as the boy turned his eyes away from him with a pained expression. It was then that Klein quickly remembered the boys' first two encounters with his adopted siblings and the poor impression it made on either party, resulting in his disappointment at his own expectations.

"But that is still a long way off. For now, why don't we have lunch first. I heard the chefs had whipped up some great delicacies just for you" the butler stated, trying to salvage this situation as much as he could.

Laphicet mind was telling him to dwell on his mistake of getting his hopes up on meeting Winter, yet the growling in his stomach was telling him to forget about all of that and just listen to Klein. Eventually the stomach won as he snapped out of his sad trance and turned to face Klein, "I like the sound of that Klein. Let's go then".

"Very well, let us away Master Laphicet"

For Laphicet, getting along with the family was hard, but at least the food was good. A short-term escape from a long-term problem. For now, anyways.

* * *

Laphicet took his time slowly eating his meal, mainly to use the comfort foods as a means of forgetting about that bad first meeting with Weiss as well as in the hopes that the other members of the Schnee would eventually join in as well. Sadly, much like yesterday, none came in to join him, not even his mother this time, though Klein did stick around to keep him company as he stood diligently.

"Klein? Can I ask you something?" the boy asked abruptly.

"But of course. Anything in particular you wish to know?" the butler gave his answer.

Laphicet looked around the almost empty dining table before turning his gaze towards the butler. "Is it…. always like this?".

Klein readied to open his mouth in order to give his charge what he thought was the answer he was looking for, only to refrain himself at the last second as he thought deeply on what he actually meant. Taking a deep breath, he coughed as he gave his definitive answer, "Unfortunately, it is, I'm afraid. They eat at different times or prefer it served at their own quarters. Unity is something your family struggles with, little master. I'm sure you've felt the effects of it."

Laphicet stared at his plate of food, holding his utensils tightly as he grumbled under his breath. Despite everything that Willow had told him about her family, he really thought things would be different when he came here and he hated it: hated the high expectations he placed on himself, hated the fact that despite all the warning signs, he played himself when he made that choice. Now Klein had all but confirmed it for him. "So, I made everything worse, just by being here. Isn't that right, Klein?" he asked with shame on his face.

"Nonsense! Do not say such things, Master Laphicet!" Klein rebuked, taking Laphicet by surprise as this was the first time, he had seen him raise his voice in his normal personality. For Klein, he knew what was going through the boys' mind at the moment and he was having none of this self-flagellation. Eventually, he composed himself before he spoke again, "Forgive me, it was wrong of me to speak to you in such a manner" he apologized, "but please, do not put such burden on yourself like this. You are not to blame for any of this. It's quite the opposite in fact, for I believe your arrival here is a blessing of sorts".

"Me? But that doesn't make any sense Klein! I don't know how I can be a good thing for everyone here, when they all seem to hate me. I don't think anything I do is going to make them happy!" Laphicet blurted out with a look of disbelief at the what Klein had just stated.

For his part, Klein didn't seem to care or cave into it, instead answering rather calmly, "Now, now, hate is strong word here, Master Laphicet. You have only been here for a day so I do not believe anyone; not even Master Jacques truly despises you. On the contrary, the family needs someone as kind as you to help bridge the gap and mend the coldness in their hearts. You've already done a lot for your mother, so much so that whenever she talks about you, all the pain in her eyes seem to just vanish."

Placing his utensils on the plate, Laphicet continued staring at the standing butler in genuine shock, "Y-you really mean that?"

"Indeed, I do. She truly cares for you as if you were her own and so will Master Whitley, Miss Weiss and Winter. Just give them time and they will come around. I'm sure of it" he gently said.

The malak blinked his eyes as a smile slowly crept in, "I feel like I need to keep thanking you all the time Klein".

"Think nothing of it, Master Laphicet" Klein humbly refused the compliment. Though it only caused Laphicet to let out a small laugh.

"Is something the matter, sir?" the butler asked, slightly taken aback by the change in demeanor but happy all the same.

"No, it's nothing. It's just…. you really do know how to say the nicest things Klein. I can see why everyone here likes you"

Now it was Klein who was confused as he blinked. "And what about you, Master Laphicet? What do you think of me?"

"I think you're really nice and I like you a lot, Klein. You're always trying to make me happy whenever I'm down and I like that about you" Laphicet answered without hesitation.

Hearing this, Klein turned to face the other direction for a few seconds before turning back with his eyes now pink, "Oooohhh stop, you silly goose! you're going to make me blush. If I were a girl, I think I would've fainted".

Laphicet burst out in laughter at the performance the butler was giving, which Klein took as the cue for him to return to his normal personality, "Now there's my happy little prince. I'm glad to see you in such high spirits again".

"Thank you, Klein," Laphicet smiled softly at the butler as he said.

Klein lowered himself with a respectful bow and answered, "Always a pleasure, Master Laphicet".

* * *

Towards the latter half of the day, Laphicet had resigned to explore the Schnee courtyard all by himself. He had personally requested Klein to leave him be for the time being as they waited for the new clothes from the tailor Shaub to arrive. He wanted this time to himself and to explore all of the secrets of this manor all on his own without the need for someone to watch over him. It was honestly the first time that he had some breathing room since he arrived here and while he appreciated Klein and everything he did, there were certain times he wanted to be by his lonesome; at the very least he promised Klein he would no undo the work done on his hair and that was enough to alleviate the butler of his worries.

There was something about this place that reminded him of the little garden he used to frequent back in the orphanage. Obviously, the difference in visual imagery and size was significant, yet both shared the same aura of tranquility. The courtyards' two gardens were beautifully covered by small hedges and flower symbols engraved on the surface stone. But the fountain at the edge of the archway with the Schnee symbol was the one that caught his eye the most as he made his way there. There was just something about the trickling sound of the water in the fountain that gave a sense of peace; it was downright infectious as a matter of fact, helping him forget about the mad spiral of a journey that was yesterday. One minute he was in the orphanage having breakfast only to later have dinner in a Schnee manor several miles away from where he began. It was a lot to take in, true and the fact that this was just his first day here didn't make it any better. Everything was different here, the people, the culture, the etiquettes, the way people carried themselves; and he wasn't just comparing it to his time in the orphanage either, it went back, much further back to when he was in the other world: he had essentially jumped from one social class to another without so much as a warning or understanding of what he was getting himself into. In these moments, he felt like he was learning to run before he could walk but at the very least there were some people who were there to guide him into this new world.

Still, he made mental note to himself that this just his first day here and a significant portion of his life was probably going to be spent here. Laphicet felt that Klein did have a point during their conversation back at lunch when he warned him that self-flagellation was going to do him no good. So, for the time being, he took it upon himself to spend some quality time and unwind himself as he sat near the edge of the fountain. The malak sat and watched the world go by; the chirping of the birds, the rustling of the leaves from the hedges and even the sound of the water flowing in the fountain, all of them gave him some sort of comfort. There was no one else around and the peace and quiet allowed him to let his guard down and forget about the turmoil in his life for the time being.

Laphicet remained in the courtyard until Klein called out to him to tell him that his new clothes had arrived. Leading him back to his room, Phi could see stacks of neatly folded covers placed on top of each other on his bed with boxes of shoes below. As Laphicet continued to look, Klein made his way towards one of the packages before carrying it back to Laphicet along with a shoe box. "For you, Master Laphicet" he said as he presented the items to his charge.

Laphicet eyes widened as he hesitated, until he cleared his throat and accepted the items given, "D-do I have to change now?"

"Well, it was your mother's express orders and I'm sure Master Whitley will be more affable towards you once he no longer sees you wearing his old clothes" he amicably answered.

That answered startled Laphicet more than anything else, and he was left with his mouth wide open just as it was with his eyes, almost as if it finally dawned on him why Whitley was partly so mean spirited towards him. The malak was pretty sure it wasn't the whole story but him wearing his adopted brothers' old clothes might have contributed to their terrible first encounter. Now he just had to hope Weiss and Winter didn't once wear the same things he was about to.

"Alright Klein" he said, causing the butler to straighten his back, "but can you just…."

"Of course," Klein responded, taking the hint to give Laphicet some privacy as he changed. With a nod, he left the room and shut the door.

After a few minutes of waiting, Laphicet gave the greenlight for Klein to come in. Doing so, Klein finally got to get a good look at the new attire that the designer was making such a big fuss about. To be fair, Klein thought it was actually decent and suited him. It consisted of a full buttoned shirt with frilly sleeves that covered past the elbow but didn't reach the wrist. The lower half of the shirt finished in a pointed angle on four sides rather than the straight angles as it usually was with shirts. The edges had intricate layer of designs to it. Covering the shirt was a buttoned vest of light blue color below the shoulder while the top half and the pockets were colored black. The buttons were each tied with a roped string attached to pins on the left side while the breast pocket had a handkerchief sticking out. All of this was completed with a red bowtie and white gloves. The lower half of the attire consisted of a black knee length trouser with light brown linings designed on the pockets and the edges. Past the knee, Klein could see the white leggings sticking out before being covered by ankle length shoes with brown soles and red laces.*

Along with his new hairstyle, Laphicet looked like a completely different person in comparison to the boy who stepped into the house the previous day and Klein thought it was for the better, as he hoped that a change in his image might make his siblings more accepting of him.

"Well, what do you think Klein? Do I look different?" Laphicet asked.

"Indeed. It suits you, young sir" Klein said as he tried to put on the finishing touches to make him look more presentable.

A big grin formed on Laphicets face when he heard that.

"There" Klein said as he finished clearing up, backing away to get one good look at Laphicet with a big smile on his face.

"You said Weiss would be more willing to talk to me if I changed my look. So, do you think she's going to think different of me now?" Laphicet questioned.

"Well, to be frank with you Master Laphicet, I can't say that I will know exactly what Miss Weiss will think of this or feels about you, but at the very least, I'm certain she will be open to talking with you now. I apologize if this sounds harsh" Klein bluntly said. Surprisingly, Laphicet wasn't put off by his honesty, rather, he seemed to actually be pleased by his answer, as if he preferred some measure of truth over the idea of buttering him up with complete lies; even if they would be done to make him feel better.

"Not at all! Thank you for being honest with me Klein" the malak blurted out, "And you're right. I don't think it's going to be easy getting them to like me."

Klein raised an eyebrow as he lends his ear to Laphicet. He was rather surprised by the sudden turn of events unfolding before him. Earlier in the morning, Laphicet became dour just over the idea of his siblings rejecting him and now, hearing the same answer, he seemed more lightened up than before. Not that it was a bad thing as he was happy to see his charge take such a new mentality.

"I'm sorry Master Laphicet. The truth is, there is no concrete solution to deal with fickle human emotions. But- "

"But that doesn't mean I should give up. I know. I had someone tell me that once a long time ago and I think I'm finally starting to understand her. I'm going to do my best to earn the right to be their little brother!" Laphicet cut Klein short, finishing his sentence.

The butler was taken aback by this sudden burst in enthusiasm but he was nonetheless pleased with it.

"That's the spirit!" Klein nodded with a smile.

* * *

The first day as a Schnee was finally coming to an end for Laphicet, who couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the experience. So much had happened in a span of a single day and there was just a lot to take in. As the moonlight started glistening, Laphicet had hoped that everything that had happened was all there was for today. After all, he still had a lot of questions regarding everything in the family and not enough time to cover it in one day. Some of the more prominent ones being the fact that he never saw Jacques Schnee or had even met him yet despite the fact that he was technically his father now. The same went for Willow, since she was absent throughout the entire day. Conveniently, Whitley was also nowhere in sight, much to his relief and other than their awkward first meeting, neither was Weiss. He knew the manor was big and one could easily get lost in it, but this was a little too much. There was also the question of the tailor and hairstylist; how they conveniently showed up and had been well equipped for him.

In short, there was a lot of questions and it was enough to drive him crazy. Unfortunately for him, there was one final surprise left in store for him.

It would come just before dinner as Klein told him that his mother had requested for his presence at the library; a prospect he was excited over since he had never been there. As he made his way there with Klein however, Whitley had just come out of the library, much to his dismay. His stomach churned and his mind cringed at the thought of having to bear another disdainful comment from him. Still, he did resolve himself to earn their approval, no matter how difficult it would be and the moment seemed just right for it. As the white-haired boy walked past him, Laphicet bowed slightly and said, "G-good evening, Whitley. H-how are you?".

It took every last bit of strength just to say those words instead of roasting him with a mystic artes right then and there, but he did it anyways. There was little to gain from making an enemy out of him and more to lose by antagonizing him, or so Laphicet thought. Besides the fact, he seemed more willing to talk than Weiss did, so it couldn't hurt to try. Whitley paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by this act, before he regained his composure and answered, "Quite fine, all things considered. Though I feel that my time was not well spent today. Present company included".

"Oh, alright" Laphicet replied as Whitley walked past him. He refrained himself from saying anything more in the event that it could cause him to dig a deeper hole than the one he was already on. Still, Laphicet thought that this was closest he was going to get with Whitely, which he felt was better than nothing. Sighing, he continued on with Klein, who was waiting for him on the sidelines as they made their way towards the library.

"It suits you".

Laphicet turned around as he heard those words. "Huh?" he asked as he turned around.

"Your new image. Your hair, your attire. It seems mother has taken it upon herself to make a Schnee out of you yet. Albeit a poor imitation of one" Whitley continued, moving one hand around while the other was tucked behind, "still, it IS a much more tolerable view compared to the unsightly mess that I saw yesterday."

"Oh…...umm, thanks?" Laphicet was genuinely confused at what he was hearing. Was Whitley actually saying something nice to him? In the most condescending way possible?

"hmph" Whitely chuckled, "don't let it go to your head, little brother. You're still a false Schnee as far as facts are concerned. But your greeting was much appreciated. Keep this up and there might be hope for you yet".

"Anyways, I've wasted enough time on you. It seems mother is eagerly waiting for you at the library. I wish you good luck. You'll need it" Whitley parted with those words with a menacing grin as he took his leave, while Laphicet did the same, but with a small smile on his face. Whitley was definitely more amicable this time around and this was probably the closest thing to a complement he was ever going to get from him, but it was much better than outright hostility and he felt that he had finally made some gain towards having something resembling a sibling relationship.

Willow was waiting at one of the tables of the massive library that Laphicet could only look on with awe. It reminded him of the grand library he saw when visiting the palace at Midgand though this one seemed several times bigger. Not long after he saw that Willow was talking with another woman on the other side of the table, that the both of them got up from their seats and made their way towards him before Willow spoke, "Laphicet, there is someone I would like you to meet". As the other woman came nearer, Laphicet could better discern the features of her face, which was very, very attractive. She had reddish shoulder length hair partially tied at the back with dark blue eyes with a beauty mark beneath her right eye, the colors of which her earrings matched. She wore what looked like a regency neck coat covered by a white coat tied together by a belt as well as black buckled boots. Though, as Laphicet continued observing, it did little to hide the significance in her…...chest. The thought of it was enough to turn his face beat red.

The woman came in closer before she knelt down to his level and greeted him, "so you must be Laphicet. Your mother tells me that you have quite the talent for learning. Is that true?".

"U-u-ummmmm…. Y-y-yes", she was a little too close for his comfort and seeing her up close just made him even more flustered. Though it seemed to do little to deter the woman as she curved into a smirk, " Awwwww, you really as adorable as she said you were" she giggled, " But don't worry. You don't need to be so shy around me. My name is Mallory Visconti, and starting tomorrow, I will be working with you to make sure your talents will not be wasted".

Klein was a little concerned at what he was seeing, turning to look towards Willow for any sorts of answers. Willow simply nodded in return, giving him a clear sign that she knew what she's doing.

* * *

**Notes:**

***For those of you who might have a hard time grasping what Laphicets' new attire looks like, it's basically taken straight from his butler outfit (Both his clothes and his hairstyle) you can find in the game. I thought it looked nice and it fit the more regal image I was going for.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy the story while we're all still stuck in quarantine. **


	6. Chapter 6

Several days had passed since his arrival at the Schnee household and Laphicet felt like he was finally starting to feel accustomed to living here. Of course, the only drawback to this was the fact that Klein wasn't around that much anymore to hold his hand or guide him around, seemingly due to the fact that he was only meant to keep an eye on him for the first day or two. Still, he would pass by the butler every now and then and each time, the greeting would always be jovial. He would also make time to give Laphicet pointers on how to act according to his station whenever the boy had completed his daily lessons with his tutor.

Speaking of his tutor, she was a peculiar woman who had a knack for being overly friendly or at times even flirtatious with him, something that made her slightly uncomfortable to be around. Thankfully, nothing inappropriate ever happened and she even cleared the air saying that it was just her way of being nice and that there was nothing to worry about. Of course, she left that answer with a wink and letting him know that he's free to think otherwise several years down the line when he would be much, much older causing their standing to go right back to square one.

That being said, when it came to the subject of academics and tutoring him on it, she knew what she was doing and she did her job well. Everyday, from mornings to mid-afternoons, she would teach him topics related to general knowledge while the evenings were used to give him lessons related to all things in Remnant, the society he was in and the company his father was running. Eventually, as the boy picked up on her lessons, she would introduce more and more complex studies that were much more difficult to master while at the same time groom him to learn what it means to be in the SDC even if he were to never inherit or succeed in it. Laphicet found it a little too much to handle at first but eventually became thankful for opportunity presented to him and made sure to take advantage of it as much as he could. Laphicet was also grateful for the fact that she didn't seem as zealous and fanatical to the point of being abusive as Percivals' tutor was.

The same, however, could not be said for most of his adopted family. While his mother Willow was still as kind as ever, if a bit absent minded and inattentive, his sister Weiss or his father Jacques were something else entirely.

The first time the two met was when they crossed paths in the hallway, whereby Laphicet could see him strutting about like a peacock as they came closer to each other. As they got closer to each other, Laphicet moved out of the way and tried to open his mouth to greet him, only for Jacques to gaze at him menacingly. "So, you're the one?" he scoffed, shoving past him" hmph, do try not to get in trouble. The last thing I need is a bastard staining our name".

Those words were enough to cause Laphicet to fume in anger as he heard it, and part of him wanted to angrily call him out on it as he walked away, gritting his teeth and furrowing his brows, ready to shout out… only to be stopped by his tutor Visconti as she clutched his shoulder tightly and shook her head: a warning sign that there would be severe consequences should he cross someone like him.

Consequences: another very important lesson that Mallory Visconti had taught him in regards to the word of Remnants' upper echelon. Every action, every word was being watched, monitored with heavy scrutiny and any misstep could have disastrous consequences. He may not have been born a Schnee but he now carried that name and with it, the family's reputation as well. Not that it would do much against the common folk, especially the faunus, many of whom were oppressed by his father's company and thus had very low opinion of that name. But in the circle of the elite, there were those who were willing to take advantage of naiveite and inexperience to gain an upper hand in the rat race. And it was for this exact reason that she taught him the ins and outs of high-class society and cutthroat nature of it.

However, those lessons weren't particularly effective when it came to getting him into the good graces of his sister Weiss, who was just as cold as ever. Their relationship had not even reach to a level where they were on speaking terms each other as Weiss simply ignored him or walked past him before he could even greet her every time they met.

…..

"Girl's are…fickle creatures, my dear Laphicet" Mallory explained. "Yeah, I'm starting to see why" Laphicet put a hand in his cheek as his elbows rested on the table while his tutor giggled at his answer.

"You have to understand that Miss Wiess has been here since the day she was born and that she probably knows a lot more of what is going here than you do." Mallory sat with one leg across the other as she sat on the opposite side of the table while explaining. "Yeah, but why does she have to be so cold about it. Even Whitley at least talks to me…. in a really mean way" Laphicet grumbled.

"True, but she must have been through a lot to turn out like this. Be patient and give her time, maybe she'll eventually come around and learn to accept you, or maybe she's been fond of you this whole time and can't admit to it" Mallory said, as Laphicet sat straight in attention.

"Reminds me of someone I know" the malak sarcastically quipped.

"Oh, so you have a type then?" the tutor teased. Laphicets faced flushed red as he vehemently tried to defend himself, "N-no, not at all. I was just saying that-"

"Relax, my dear, I was only teasing. But then again, you really are cute when you're flustered" Mallory said as she winked, making the malak flustered even more.

…

But things weren't always so dark and gloomy: there were also a lot of bright spots as well to balance out the grittier side of his new life. For one thing, there were days when he didn't need to study and instead, got to spend more time with his adopted mother, Willow. They would either chat and discuss different topics of conversation over tea at her garden or drive through the city to shop for various things. She would teach him what to do and what not to do in the city, how to buy things and even made a credit card for him. A strange concept he found at first, but getting a chance to keep large quantities of money all to himself was something he was not keen on passing up. Of course, he still had to learn how to deposit money, conduct withdrawals, use an ATM machine as well as perform transactions via his own personal scroll. Sometimes, he felt like she was spoiling him rotten with the amount of thing she offered to buy for him whenever he eyes fancied it or bought several things without asking him first if he wanted them or not. This did give way to a lot of guilt trips for Laphicet as he felt that she bending over backwards and giving him things in excess to keep him happy but then there were times he would conveniently forget about all of it the moment he got a chance to satisfy his cravings and gorge himself on sweets. He had eventually even gotten around to addressing her as his mother as well.

Unfortunately, having his own bank account and personal scroll without any long term experience also meant he was giving ammunition for Whitley to take advantage of him, which did happen more often than not when he tricked him into buying something for him online or accidentally locking his scroll with a protected password that he forgot on the pretext of teaching him how to use these things. Thankfully, these were the extent to which Whitley would play tricks on him and while they were mean spirited, they weren't particularly malicious either and Laphicet himself wised up to most of them.

And speaking of Whitley, the most unlikely relationship had been formed. Out of all his siblings, the mean spirited, back talking brother who openly expressed disdain for him was the one who strangely got along with him the most. He really didn't know the reason why he was tolerant of him or even gave him the time of day but he was pleased with it nonetheless. Their entire eventual relationship could be summed up as Whitley constantly displaying open contempt and disdain for him yet also invite him to tea or play board games with him while bragging about his supposed superiority over him all the while giving Laphicet backhanded compliments.

* * *

"You've lost again" Whitley stated, moving his board piece towards Laphicets' side. At the moment, they were both sitting in the courtyard and playing an intense game of chess.

"What?" Laphicet looked bewildered as he rubbed his eyes to take a closer look again, upon which he confirmed it for Whitley. "But how" he asked, still surprised as ever.

"Quite simple really. You were so focused on defending your king that you left plenty of openings for me to capitalize on. On top of that, you kept on using the same strategy over and over again, making it quite easy to read and predicts your moves" the white-haired boy explained. "But of course, a true Schnee will always triumph over a false one" he bragged.

"You know, you don't always have to rub it into my face all the time" Laphicet narrowed his eyes as he gave Whitley a deadpanned stared, "and you've been saying that line over and over again since the day we've met"

"I know. And I intend on using it over and over again. I do enjoy saying that a lot" Whitley teased.

"Ugh" Laphicet could only roll his eyes, sigh and grunt in annoyance at the actions of Whitley. He may be more approachable than Weiss but his talent to get under the malaks' skin was equally impressive. Worse still, was the fact that he would probably have to put up with this for a large portion of his life, until the day he would outlive him. Even then, Laphicet was sure that even if he reached past a thousand years, he would still be haunted by Whitley's constant pestering.

"Well then, shall we play again" Whitley offered.

"Fine" Laphicet grumbled but complied nonetheless as the two began reassembling their pieces into their respective positions in order to restart. It was then that they both got distracted by the sight of Weiss angrily stomping her way across the courtyard.

"What do think of her?" Whitley asked as they were glued to their seats, watching Weiss angrily shout at someone over something they couldn't hear.

"She's really pretty. But she's also kind of scary and she never really talks to me" Laphicet answered with the first thing that came to his mind.

"An accurate description of her" Whitley said as they both continued looking at Weiss, only to see her storm off in the other direction.

"What do you mean? Are you saying she's like this with you too" Laphicet asked as he tilted his head.

"In a way. Sister and I have never been anywhere close to amicable and there are certain things that we just don't see eye to eye on" Whitley explained, " of course, she always believed that she was better than me or anyone else in every way, so the mere presence of anyone unfamiliar with her is enough for her to take it as a challenge to her talents. It could explain why she is so hostile to strangers like you".

'_Pot calling the kettle black' _Laphicet thought. He momentarily reeled himself and stared at the fountain in the distance as he asked, "so what about Winter?"

"Her? She's the same as Weiss, or perhaps worse" the Schnee replied, "Strutting about like she owns the world, always acting so high and mighty. As if my very existence was beneath her!" he growled as he lightly slammed his left fist onto the table. Laphicet was almost taken aback by this sudden change in behavior, as it the haughty scion had been replaced by someone with barely restrained anger.

"Oh" the malak said, still trying to process what he had just witnessed. Still, he felt like he was starting to understand where all this unpleasant behavior came from and why he had so much repressed emotional baggage as well. Whatever the case, Laphicet got the feeling that Whitley had issues and was venting some of that disdain onto him as well. Conversely, the way he described his siblings made him feel like he was also trying to replace them with him as if Phi were a pet, considering how he constantly hurls insults at his direction yet also wants Laphicet to hang around with him. He groaned at the very thought of it but decided to let it go for now.

It took a few more seconds for Whitley to regain his composure as he explained himself, "truly, father is the only true constant in this house. It did wonders for me staying by his side and you would do well to follow my lead".

"I doubt that, even he doesn't seem to like me very much" Phi answered with a slight tilt of his head.

Whitley's' lips curved into the devious smirk that Laphicet was all to familiar with as he spoke, "Perhaps, but that is none of my concern. I pity you little brother: you had the misfortune of being chosen to walk beside us even though you are not worthy of it. Still, they will make a Schnee out of you yet and I'am interested in seeing where it goes".

For the umpteenth time in the day, Laphicet sighed.

* * *

Laphicet was excited. Not a rare sight anymore since living as a Schnee had introduced him to lots of new and strange things in this world, yet this one different. It would be the first time he was going to witness Weiss performing in front an audience at an Opera house. He had been told by many people that her singing was beyond comparable and that was something he wanted to see for himself, regardless of the current status of their relationship so far.

At the moment, he was sitting next to Willow at one of the higher balconies that provided them with a vantage point while Jacques and Whitley sat on the opposite balcony overlooking the stage and apparently, Winter was apparently present as well though she was nowhere to be found. Now this wasn't the first time he had seen a live performance since he was certain he still remembered some parts of "The Majestic Lulu" dancing, but this was probably the first time he would get to see it in full. There were stories and whispers going around about how his sister's singing evoked an image of a winter beauty but he wanted to see for himself whether all of it was just smoke or if it would actually live up to the hype. Of course, his heart was still racing in anticipation.

"So, mother, is Weiss going to sing now?" he excitedly asked.

"Yes, but you must keep quiet when it happens or you'll never enjoy it in full" Willow instructed, "can you do that?"

"Of course," he happily agreed.

"Good" she nodded in approval.

(Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to proudly announce the final performance of the night. Introducing none other than the beautiful Weiss Schnee!)

And then it happened. It began as the curtains fell back and a beautiful young woman in white dress slowly came onto the stage to a thunderous applause. She etched closer to the microphone as she looked solemnly before the crowd and closed her eyes while the music slowly started playing, and then …...

" ~ Mirror, tell me something

Tell me who's the loneliest of all?

Mirror, tell me something

Tell me who's the loneliest of all?

Mirror, what's inside of me

Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?

Mirror, mirror, what's behind you?

Save me from the things I've seen!

I can keep it from the…~ "

Laphicet was enchanted, to say the least. The voice, the music, her presence, the way she carried herself…...everything about it hit all the rights notes for him. As her singing kept ringing in his ears, he had almost forgotten about most of the lyrics that were being sung and yet, when he tried to keep track of it, the more he realized that, in a way, she wasn't just singing these words on a whim but rather, these were words she had carefully chosen and used as a way to express herself in a way that only she could understand. Laphicet felt like the words of the song she was singing were actually descriptions of herself and how she was feeling, perhaps at the moment or even throughout her whole life: her loneliness.

"Aww, you're so cute"

"He is beyond adorable!"

"Is this the new addition to your family, Willow? I must say, you picked a good one"

Amidst the chaos of the post-performance party, Laphicet found himself in the unenviable position of being surrounded by his mother's friends and associates as they flocked to him, pinching his cheeks and singing sweet nothings more appropriate for a baby. Try as he might, no amount of groaning or whining could get them off of him and he looked desperately for a way out while Whitley was nowhere to be found.

"Winter!"

Just then, through the corner of his eyes, Laphicet saw Weiss running up to a woman who much taller than her yet had the same color of hair. He couldn't really make out what they were really saying but as he continued staring, he could see Weiss acting all giddy and excited, like a little girl excited about her first make up; a sharp contrast to the cold, menacing aura she gave off when he was around her. The taller girl as looking at her with a stern face, yet it did not seem malicious as she watched Weiss continue blabbering on and on with a huge grin on her face; it was almost as if she was a completely different person in her presence.

The two did eventually part ways, and coincidentally, so did his smothering tormentors as Willow led them somewhere else while telling him that he could to look around for the moment. Now free to move about, Laphicet felt like he was starting to regret wanting to be free in a room full of pompous individuals. Deeply trying to remember all the lessons in etiquette that had been drilled into his head by his tutor Visconti, Laphicet lowered his head and diverted his gaze to the ground in the hopes of avoiding eye contact as he kept moving. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect of what he desired as it caused him to accidentally bump into someone.

"Ow!" he cried out as he looked up to see who he had bumped into. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he saw who it was.

And unfortunately for him, that someone turned out to be the last person he wanted to meet at the moment: Weiss.

"You!?" a startled Weiss stared at Laphicet, peering into his very soul. In a panic, Laphicet fumbled over the words he was trying to form a sentence with. "I-I-I'm s-sorry. I…didn't m-mean to do it …...on purpose. It was…...an accident. I swear!" he gulped.

"What? Do you need something?" Weiss crossed her hands as she rolled her eyes.

"We-well, I just wanted to let you know that…I liked your singing!" Laphicet answered, nervously fidgeting his fingers.

"I..." Weiss was slightly taken aback by the answer before she let out a cough and returned to a more snobbish composed stance, "hmph, you can keep your compliments to yourself. I don't need it". She pushed past him and started walking away from him, while he looked on in confusion before heaving a sigh of relief.

"I told you she was like that"

Whitley chimed in, startling Laphicet before he regained his composure. "Oh Whitley, it's just you" Laphicet looked almost relieved to see him, as much as it surprised him.

"So, how are you feeling? I mean, as a lowly commoner walking amongst the elite" the white-haired boy smirked, though this time, the younger one barely showed any signs of irritation at the statement, simply looking tired at the moment.

"It's annoying" he said, rubbing his cheeks as he said so, "I could really do with a lot less of their smothering"

Whitley let a small laugh as he heard the answer, "I see. Of course, it's only natural that someone who was never born into this life would fail to appreciate the opportunity presented. I for one, aim to take advantage of it".

"Sure. Knock yourself out" Laphicet said, looking resigned and defeated as Whitley too walked off, leaving him to his own devices. At this moment, Laphicet was praying to whatever divine being was present to save him from this predicament.

…

The rest of the party went by uneventfully, although the food took his mind off the unease. At this hour, Laphicet was sitting in one of the corner tables in an attempt to not draw any attention to himself. There were other children at the party and while he didn't talk to most of them, the ones he did were just as insufferable as Whitley was. He groaned as he took a sip of his apple juice.

"is this chair taken?"

Laphicet looked up to see who was asking him, only to be completely taken by surprise once again as he was left in stunned silence. The person in question was a woman with white hair and blue eyes, wearing a white uniform with blue highlights. Her hair was styled in the same manner as his was. There was no getting around it: this was Winter.

"I will take that as a no then" she stated as she sat down next to him, staring into the other side just as Willow did. There was no denying that she had an ethereal beauty to her with an air of elegance just like Weiss yet it so much more sophisticated. At the same time, the way she carried herself gave her an aura of someone who favored strictness and discipline while expecting this of others as well, and that those who failed to meet her standards would be unworthy to even look at her direction. Laphicet was hesitant to do this, as she seemed to just ignore him and stare into the party that was going on. She seemed so approachable yet unapproachable at the same time: She was hard to read.

Ultimately, he decided that he would take the risks anyways. After all, with how the other two treated him, there was no way it could get any worse.

"Um… you're Winter, right?" he nervously asked.

"Yes" she nonchalantly replied.

"Oh! Umm…. I'm La- "

"Laphicet. I know" she answered his reply before he could even finish, while still not even looking at him.

"How did you- "

"Know? They told me about you"

"right…...:" Laphicet looked resigned, as if he was defeated in a war of words before it even began. Suddenly Winter turned around to look at Laphicet right in the eye, and by the looks of it, Phi thought she even more terrifying than Weiss or Jacques combined.

"It's common sense to know what's happening in the family. And now I get to see it for myself" she continued explaining. Laphicet was at a loss for words as to what he was seeing: she was so cool, calm and collected. Every word spoken with meaning and purpose, meticulously planned out before he could even answer. She seemed like she was out of this world and that he was not even on her level yet and right now, he couldn't really find the appropriate words to speak to her as he felt overwhelmed.

"If you are at a loss for words, you shouldn't waste your breath" she instructed.

"No, no! I didn't mean it like it, I-I…...just wanted to know what you were doing here, sitting with me" the malak promptly replied.

"Huh?" Winter raised a brow at his statement but did not act on it, "I was merely taking a break from all this excess. I was never one for these types of events"

"So why did you come then?" Laphicet asked as he tilted his head.

"Normally, I prefer the loud noises coming from a war council, but for this one, I made an exception since I wanted to watch Weiss perform" she explained as she looked away from Laphicet, "and so far, she has been adequate".

Laphicet couldn't help but notice a beam of pride slipping through that cold exterior, "She was amazing! I've never heard a singing voice like that".

Winter lips curved ever so slightly towards one side for less than second as she heard that, before it quickly disappeared and the cold front reappeared, "I see. And what about you? I'm told that you're quite gifted when it comes to academics"

"W-well, it's nothing really. I just liked reading, that's all" phi replied, shaking his head.

"That's disappointing to hear. I had hoped that as a Schnee you would have more pride than this" Winter stated.

Laphicet stared at Winter with wide eyes as he realized what he had just said, instantly regretting it. "No! What I…. mean is, I really like reading and they said I could become a polymath if I got the chance so I'm working hard on it since I want to give back to mother and everyone else who did so much for me".

"Better" she nodded as she slowly got up from her chair. "I must be leaving now Laphicet. You and I will not be meeting each other for a long time. But know that I have high expectations for you, so don't disappoint me".

Laphicet scratched the back of his head, confused as to whether her last words were meant to be a compliment or a warning. She certainly was stranger than Weiss or Whitley. She wasn't outright hostile as Weiss or mean spirited and demeaning as Whitley. She wasn't overtly friendly as Klein but at the same time not as sinister as Jacques as well. She was just …there. In between those lines, she treaded: Affable but not friendly, stern but not hostile, approvable but no nonsense, sour outside, decent inside.

The part that he felt was most important about Winter was the fact that she was constantly evaluating him from the moment she sat next to him. It felt like she judging his every move, every body language, every word chosen and spoken by him, the movement of his eyes and the way he carried him and then forming her own opinion of him. With the high expectation she set for him, Laphicet felt relieved that at the very least, she seemed to be on amicable terms with him.

* * *

Laphicet nervously walked through the hall of the manor, making his way past several servants only to pause as he hesitated to keep moving forward. It was an overwhelming experience to be sure, being summoned by Jacques for the first time.

…..

_Just the other night, the climax of the ball finally came to a halt and Laphicet was more than ready to leave the place for good. The posh air was beginning to suffocate him and he felt like he couldn't handle another minute of it anymore. As he weaved through the crowd that was leaving through one of the big doors, something caused him to stop._

"_You there" a voiced called out._

_The boy turned around to see who it was, only to gasp in shock on seeing the source of it, causing him to almost stumble back. It took a few seconds for that initial lapse in composure to die down as he recognized the person in front of him: his 'father' Jacques Schnee, who was giving him one of the most intense stares he had ever seen as another person was whispering something to his ear. "I see. Very well" Jacques muttered to the other person as he stepped forward. "Oh, I-it's just you, fa- I-I mean sir" Laphicet said, trying hard to come up with the appropriate words as taught by his tutor, "do you need something from me"._

_Jacques didn't say anything, merely glancing down at Laphicet before returning to his previous position. Something about the whole thing just unnerved the malak since before now, he had always been rather distant with him. "Meet me in my study tomorrow night, nine PM sharp. Don't be late" he ordered before walking away in another direction as he left the boy visibly confused._

….

He shook himself abruptly as he tried to remember what he was here for and continued marching towards the private study room of Jacques Schnee. Yet, it did not make him any less nervous than he was before; not because he was frightened of what could happen to him but rather what could happen to others like Willow if he retaliated to some degree or accidentally spoke out of turn. Ms. Visconti had been very clear in her warnings not to push the wrong kinds of people in this society.

Standing in front of a large door, Laphicet raised his right hand and reached for the doorbell, only to pause momentarily as he gulped down before knocking on it. "Who is it" a voice on the other side said.

"It's me, Laphicet" the malak answered.

"Very well, come in" the voice approved.

Opening the door, Laphicet entered the room, only to find it different in design from the rest of the manor: The floors and walls consisted of dark wood rather than tiles and concrete with wooden bookshelves covering both sides with two couches and a table near the end. A blue carpet rolled from the entrance all the way to the back end where a large desk stood with a several portraits and paintings of Jacques himself hung behind it. Laphicet closed the door behind him and stepped forward, nervously rubbing his right arm as he did so.

"Come, sit" Jacques motioned for Laphicet to take a seat at one of the couches while he himself was standing. The boy complied and sat down, with both hands on his lap as he looked up to the older man.

"Now, tell me. What do you know of the Schnee Dust Company?" the man asked as he continued staring at the boy. Something about this made Laphicet feel at unease. The slicked back hair and thick white mustache blended with the cold blue eyes and well-dressed suit to show an image of a man with wealth and taste and yet, he felt that it also showed an image of a man who could change that image to suit his needs. Just not too long ago, he practically loathed him and wanted nothing to do with him and now, here he was, inviting him over to talk. It just didn't sit right with him and it was giving him cause for concern. For the moment, he decided to play along.

"Well, it's the largest producer and distributer of dust with franchises and conglomerates nearly all over Remnant" he answered.

"Dr Visconti said you were quite clever. I'm beginning to think she is correct" the head Schnee stated.

"Umm…well, it's nothing really. I just want to work hard and pull my weight here for everything the Schnee family has done for me" Laphicet evenly replied.

"As humble as he is smart. I can see what she was so taken with you"

Now this was definitely getting suspicious; he was never this affable or nice to him before and this sudden change in behavior convinced Laphicet that there was an ulterior motive behind all of this.

"You know Laphicet" Jacques continued, "I see a lot of myself in you".

"What do you mean?" Laphicet asked.

"Well, you and I are not so different. We were both outsiders before being accepted into this fine lineage and with me in charge, it has become all the more prestigious" the man explained. "As you said, my company is the largest and most efficient producer and distributor of dust. But that is not all" he continued as he paced back and forth between the two ends of his desk, " my company also provides jobs, income, security, technology, long lasting sources of energy, opportunities for all so that they may rise through their own merits provided they have the talent and drive to succeed. But most importantly, we are the very lifeblood through which the economic stability of Atlas and by extension the rest of Remnant, is guaranteed."

"But!" he punctuated, his tone stern as his fists were clenched, "there are some who fail or refuse to acknowledge all the good we have done. They are the ones who would resort to spreading baseless, disgusting rumors about us, supposedly using forced labor to work Faunus slaves to death and that we have violated several rules of workplace safety and ethics. All of them are not true, I assure you".

Laphicet sat quietly as he watched his adopted father rant on and on, before finally deciding to speak up, "I think I understand what you mean, fathe- "

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT! -" Jacques snapped, his cold and collected façade shattered in an instant as his temper reared its' ugly head. Internally, Laphicet was fuming all the same and wanted nothing more than to retaliate verbally and if need be, physically; he had faced worse and he knew he was perfectly capable of doing that. Yet, at the same time, he worried that if he did so, it would have an indirect effect on his mother, or even Klein or Whitley and Weiss for that matter. Maybe it would draw attention, maybe he would take it out on them, maybe he had friends who would do terrible nasty things for him in his stead. Not only that, he was still terrified of his sudden outburst and he had no idea what Jacques was actually capable of physically; it was possible that he was actually stronger than he let on and could potentially be more than a match for him. Consequences; he was starting to learn a very important lesson on it. So, for now, he had no choice but to let it all play out.

"-Yet" Jacques continued his sentence as he cooled down and regained his composure. "But if you were to do something for me, then I would be more than happy to accept you as my son and let you address me as your father", he reverted back into his friendlier façade which Laphicet was not buying into. Still, the way Whitley sung his praises, it was possible that he played the same game on him too.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Laphicet asked. Jacques was more than surprised at how docile and subservient he was, but he seemed pleased with it all the same.

"Remember what I said about how our detractors resorted to using baseless rumors to defame us. Well, it has had an adverse effect on our reputation, sullied our good name and gave us enemies who would physically attack and destroy anything with our name on it. Enemies like the White Fang, who are more than willing to murder innocent members of our boards and destroy everything in their path for the sake of false revenge" the head Schnee explained, " as such, I have taken it upon myself to restore our family's good name and let everyone know that we are here to help not harm. And my Marketing and Public Relations team agrees with me as well. In fact, they have suggested that I bring you in as the mascot for their new 'Family Friendly' venture."

"Me?" Laphicet was dumfounded at what was being asked of him.

'Yes you! Who else to show how much we care for others than to show that we took you, an orphaned boy with no future, in as one of our very own. You will represent everything good about the Schnee Dust Company in our latest mission to appeal to the common man and show that we do care for all of them. So, all you will need to do is help us in making a few commercials and Public Service Announcements, make a few public appearances in charity drives and maybe even pay a few visits to a few of the needy and less fortunate, perhaps even help grant their wishes. Anything to win back the hearts and minds of the people".

"I …...see. I-I not sure I can do this or that I know what I have to do" the malak expressed doubt at what he was being asked of, "do I have to do this?"

"I would be very happy if you did" Jacques gritted his teeth as he answered, a not so subtle indication that this ultimatum was absolute. Laphicet eyes widened as he picked up on that cue, dropping his gaze down to his lap. "Okay, I will do my best"

"Very good. That is all I ask" the praise the man gave felt hollow and empty in light of his true nature and intentions. Yet he had not choice but to play along with this man who was supposed to be his father; in a way, he was probably understanding that life that Percival led and now fully understood how difficult, unpleasant, shallow and lonely it really was.

Taking a sigh, he got up from his seat and gave a swift bow before departing from the room. He couldn't bear to stay in that place for any longer, lest he lose all composure and blow everything up. Laphicet had now fully resigned himself to the fact that this was now his fate and this was the life he was going to lead for a very long time.

…

Sadly, it was only going to get worse for him in the next few minutes as he made his way to the hall leading to the stairway. A familiar figure stood near the edge of the large glass window, staring at the mountains beyond, and yet, something was strange about it as she held onto a large bottle of some liquor in her hand. Taking a moment to pause, Laphicet watched in horror as the woman gulped down the entire bottle in one go, nearly emptying it halfway without any sort of glass. With unease in his face, Laphicet approached her carefully.

"M-mother?" he called out.

Suddenly, the woman seemed alert as she heard his voice, slowly turning around to reveal a disheveled face, with dull eyes of unhappiness looking at him. At first, he himself couldn't believe it but as she came closer to him, she resembled the sad, melancholic, empty shell that he met months ago in a little garden.

"L-Laphi…...cet? What …...are you doing here?" she asked, slurring her words. The boy was frozen in place at sight of her, unable to say a word for a moment before finding the courage to do so.

"Father called for me a little while ago. I just finished talking with him" he explained, still nervously looking at her.

"I …...see" Willow said, slowly moving towards him before kneeling down to face him. "I'm …sorry" she apologized, placing a hand on his cheek. Laphicet peered into her miserable eyes as she held onto the bottle tightly while the awful smell of alcohol blinded his nostrils. "I didn't mean for you to…...see me like this".

Laphicet removed the hand from his cheek as he backed away, "What's going on!?".

The white-haired woman gave no answer as she simply looked away with a pained expression in her face. Laphicet refused to buy into it as he stood his ground and watched her with a look of disbelief mixed in with pity before his eyes widened as it finally dawned on him what was happening.

She had told him several times about how her children resented her and that they were not on speaking terms. Now he was beginning to understand why, judging by her current state. There was no trace of anger in his face, just sadness at the misfortune of having to witness the broken shell of the woman who took him in to be a part of her family. Yet, that revelation paled in the comparison to the idea stuck in his head that the very reason she took him in was to fill in that void left by Winter, Weiss and Whitley.

"Why, didn't you tell me…" he softly asked, still standing there as she stood up and refused to look him in the eye.

Silence hovered between the two as neither budge from their positions. Willow stared timidly into the cold floor, face full of shame and regret, while Laphicets' eyes trailed off into window view, unable to bear the miserable sight of his adopted mother. He had been so hopeful that she finally gotten better from her misery thanks to him, and he himself, finally thought he had a family to call his own. Now first his father and now his mother, he felt like the entire thing was a sham, a false illusion created by him through his failures that he never noticed. It felt like it was all a lie, and that he had botched everything. Laphicet felt so dejected at the moment, that he did not realize that someone was coming in from behind him.

"Come, Master Laphicet" a gentle hand placed itself onto his shoulders, causing him to turn around to realize that it was none other than Klein. His one true constant throughout this whole ordeal and yet, somewhere in his mind, there was a fear emanating from the idea that this too was nothing but a false illusion. Yet at the moment, he had neither the energy nor the mood to say or do anything but quietly comply with the butler.

"Forgive me, Madam Schnee. I should have been more watchful" he stated apologetically, as Willow quickly nodded before turning away.

Klein did the same and slowly guided Laphicet to his room, his right gently placed on Laphicets' back, slowly pushing him. Even if it were a false image, Klein had always been there to help him out of any sticky situation, always ready, willing and able to pull him out of that dark place. And if there was any silver lining to his spectacular failure of a life, any light of comfort to him, it was that he met Klein and Winter and that he was still latching onto the words that Winter had spoken to him about the other night. It was only now that the full weight of it was fully conveyed to him in a revelation that finally let him grasp what she meant. The fact that after meeting Jacques or seeing Willow in an alcoholic state of misery, Laphicet had nothing but respect for Winter for cutting off from both of them despite getting disinherited. It made her cold statements of honesty feel genuine over the hollow praises and false facades of his parents. Now he realized, that she was not only testing him but truly desired to accept him.

'_I think I'm finally starting to understand by what you mean last night Winter. Thank you for believing in me"._

* * *

**Notes: **

**Apologies if this chapter seemed a bit shorter than the others. I'm still trying to sort things through my mind for how the scenarios are going to play out. Don't worry, I'll still be updating as I usually do for now, since the Covid thing isn't letting up. And yes, I'm saving the best for last. The interaction with Weiss is coming up very soon, although with the way the relationship between the two are going currently, it may not be the most pleasant one, to put it mildly. That's going to be the only warning I'm going to give. But don't worry, it'll all get better, I can assure you of that.**

**Side Note: **

**Guess I turned Whitley into some sort of weird Tsundere, huh. Lol!**

**Anyways, hope you all enjoy it.**


	7. Chapter 7

"_Hello everyone! Before I get started, on behalf of the Schnee Dust Company, I want to give a big 'thank you' to everyone who's supported us throughout all these months since we started this program. Your support means a lot to us and I'm really happy with all of the wonderful letters I receive every day from all of you. _

_With that out of the way, I, Laphicet Schnee, would like to bring some very exciting news to share with all of you today on what's going to happen with 'Phi's guide to dust'. So, let's get started…"_

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing. I look stupid" Laphicet covered his eyes with his hands as he turned away from the monitor that was broadcasting another one of usual PSAs that the SDC had made him do. It didn't help that he was in a car and thus had to sit in close proximity to the thing as he heard himself talking over and over again. "Come now, you've done over a hundred of these for several months now. You should be getting used to them Mr. Schnee" another person said, sitting opposite to him in the other side of the car. He had a lanky and tall frame with bleached blonde hair and spectacles that gave him a look of sophistication.

"I know, I know. It's just…"

"Embarrassing or not, your videos are quite popular with our focus groups and it has been a boon to the SDC's and by extension, your father's public image. So, hold some pride for it" the man calmly retorted, busy dabbling with his scroll.

"I guess you're right Mr. Julius" Laphicet acknowledged in defeat. Deep down, he knew the head of the SDCs Public Relations had a point when he said that it had helped his adopted father's company immensely. Of course, it came at the cost of his privacy, since he was essentially forced to expose himself to the public. To say that it caused an uproar would be an understatement. For nearly a month, half of the tabloids in Atlas were constantly talking about the latest member of the Schnee family, with unsubstantiated rumors being spread left and right.

Especially about the ones regarding his origins.

Some thought he was the bastard child of either Jacque or Willow, a union that came out of forbidden love, thus forcing him to be abandoned at an early age only to have their first parent perish, leaving the remaining parent to take him in either out of sheer pity or to protect their public image should the child lay claim to legitimacy. Of course, these stories also conveniently leave out the fact he practically shared none of the Schnees physical traits.

Others carried over the pity story but replaced the forbidden love part with Laphicet being the victim of the SDCs or the White Fang's wars against each other and his subsequent adoption being seen as a means of atonement.

The more straightforward ones though that this move a simply an act to alleviate their public image done to make themselves look sympathetic.

Of course, the stories and rumors were only part of the problem. The other half of the issue of being a Schnee came from people's opinions on him. Especially since he was practically made the face of their family friendly brand. Some thought he would be no different from the other Schnees and that he would turn out just like them: ruthless and cold, or at least what they thought most were like. The more vocal ones labelled him guilty by association and it reflected in their letters containing threats and intimidations, vows of vengeance over what the SDC did to them. Laphicet had to admit that they disturbed and unnerved him to say the least, though Klein tried his best to encourage him not to take any of them to heart as he explained to him that this was a regular occurrence and that they had no right to say those things to a child that they knew nothing about. As if to further comfort him, the butler would tell him stories of how worse things had happened to his siblings, and how it had affected them. Whitley returned the hatred in kind and treated everyone as beneath him, Winter took the high ground and simply ignored them, believing that she had better things to do. Weiss, much like Whitley, took it badly and it reflected on the person she became now. This revelation helped put his mind at ease and at very least, made him understand why Weiss was the way she was.

As if to balance out the slew of negative publicity, the other half of the public warmly received his arrival, believing him to be the white sheep of the family and hoped that he would be a positive influence on them while still retaining that goodness in his later years as an adult. Little did they know that a malaks' concept of maturity was much, much longer than a human or even a faunus.

But the thing that made him happiest was the endless amounts of heartfelt letters being sent to him by children either his age, older and sometimes younger than him. In their letters, they would thank him for helping them get through their troubled times and inspiring them to reach for their dreams. For a while, he really didn't understand what he did that could've meant so much to them, until the day he participated in a charity program to visit a children's hospital who had all requested to meet him.

And it moved him.

Their smiling faces as they struggled to cope with their various disabilities and their drive to keep on living despite the worst life had given them almost moved him to tears. He was humbled by the fact that they were so happy by him just being there and many said that they looked up to him. He hated that, mainly because of the fact that all he did was stand in front of the camera and talk over and over again, hardly anything that warranted such praise. A hero who saved the world countless times deserved the praise more than he did: someone like Eleanor perhaps.

When he dwelled on it, he realized that while people like Eizen and Velvet would shun such praises and move on, shamelessly hiding any sort of humility that they actually might have, Eleanor would've instantly taken it upon herself to live up to their praises and do everything in her power to make things better for them. The young malak couldn't help but smile in nostalgia and he felt that if Eleanor were here, she would tell him to help these children however he could.

And it was this belief that spurned him into using his healing artes to alleviate some of the problems that the children were facing. It wasn't exactly an instant miracle fix nor did it do much against the more severe ones, yet it was enough to lift some of their burdens. In return, they would talk about their life, interests, struggles and share their dreams to him

Since that day, Laphicet had been invited to several dozen other charity programs for children as well as advertising collaborations with apparently some popular names and brands, including one with a cereal brand called Pumpkin Pete and their latest mascot, the Champion of Mistral, Pyrrha Nikos; something that had apparently been on negotiations for a while now. Ultimately however, it was Mr. Julius and his father who made the final call on everything.

Still, if it made children happy, he was more than willing to do it. As a matter of fact, he was just happy to be doing anything to help instead of simply staying in the manor all day doing nothing but studying or collecting bugs.

…

At the moment, Laphicet was currently on his way to another of the children's hospital located in the lower city of Mantle in order to visit a special patient who had requested to meet up with him. While he was supposedly going under orders from the PR team, it was something he was more than happy to oblige as it was a duty, he had gladly taken a liking to. His only gripe was the endless hordes of media groups that would constantly swarm and make everything a nuisance as the constant flashing of lights irritated him greatly.

Nevertheless, it was an issue he had learned to endure for the sake of charity and at the end of day, if he had made that one important person happy, then it would be enough.

Entering the room of the patient, Laphicet saw a young girl patiently waiting for him in a seated position. As he got closer, her face lit up in his presence as she gave him a wide smile.

"Hi" Laphicet greeted as he sat next to her bed with the seat provided for him. She looked like she was about his age with medium length brown hair and eyes of the same color as her hair. With bags under her eyes, she looked rather pale and sickly; something that darkly suited her hospital garments.

"You're Laphicet right?" she asked, shifting herself to face him. It was then that Laphicet notice that her right arm looked incomplete as a short stump for the end while everything else from the elbows up to her hands were missing. He had seen several such sights during his frequent visits and while he was used to such things, he still couldn't help but feel sorry for her and others like her.

"Uh huh. I'am" he answered while nodding, "and what about you? What's your name?"

The girl blinked for a moment before shaking herself and smiling at him again, "oh right. My name is Angela"

"It's nice to meet you Angela" Laphicet said, as he reached out for his bag underneath him in order to take out an item. The girl watched curiously as the boy lifted what seemed like a neatly packaged book from the bag and placed it on her lap. Laphicet smiled as he asked "I heard you liked to read a lot, so I thought I'd bring you some books. Do you like it?"

The patient excitedly ripped open the package with her hand as stacks of small books unveiled themselves. The girl's face was beaming with joy as she saw her gifts and she looked over Laphicet with a sweet smile, "thank you so much!".

Laphicet smiled back as he replied, "you're welcome. So, you want to read up on the old civilizations of Remnant, right? I think that's really cool".

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. It's amazing how there's little written records about them and how they just disappeared like that. There's so much we don't know about them and I think it's fascinating" Laphicet shifted his chair so he could inch closer to her.

Hearing this, the girl's face brightened and was beaming with joy. "Right? That's why I wanna travel the world and study their ruins when I get older".

"I wanna travel the world too. I wanna see all of Remnant someday" the malak retorted back.

"But don't you get to travel the world all the time? I mean, you're a Schnee, right?" Angela asked, being slightly confused at what he had said.

Laphicet was a bit taken aback by her questions, though he quickly shook it off as he had become accustomed to such prodding. "Well…. it's not as easy as you think it is Angela. I really can't go wherever and whenever I want" he answered, scratching the side of his head.

"Oh, I see" she said, looking down at her new books almost as if to hide her embarrassment in asking that question. Eventually she regained her confidence enough to raise her head and look at the boy again. "Say, Laphicet. What's it like…I mean, being adopted by the Schnees" she asked.

"Umm…. well…I" Laphicet struggled to formed the appropriate words to answer her. He had been taught and warned, not to say anything that might paint the Schnees in a bad light. Of course, that really didn't stop him from giving a roundabout honest answer at times. "It's fine…. for the most part. A lot of them are really nice to me and I like them a lot too".

"It must be nice. To have brothers and sisters" the girl said with a sad smile on her face.

"So, what about you? What's your family like?" Laphicet asked, attempting to alleviate the mood as he began to notice how dejected she was starting to look.

"My mom died when I was really small, so I don't remember much about her. My dad has been the only person I've ever known and he works as a security guard in the SDC" she explained. "Do you remember your real mom and dad?"

"No…." Laphicet shook his head before giving himself a pause, 'w-what I mean is…I never met them but I knew someone who was close to them"

The girl looked surprised, if not a bit confused as Laphicet darted around her question. Little did she realize that this only a fraction of a half truth that he was telling and if he told her everything, she'd probably find it hard to believe.

"I'm really sorry to hear that" the girl said gently, "but even if you're not really related to them, I hope your new family is good to you too"

Laphicet stared at the girl, his eyes wide, as he slowly settled down with a smile, "I…." he paused for a moment, "I appreciate it. And if meet your dad, I'll be sure to tell him about you. I'm sure he misses you a lot".

"Really? Then tell that I'm doing just fine and he has nothing to worry about"

Laphicet got up from his seat as he stood in front of her, his small stature meant that there wasn't any difference in height as they made eye contact. Laphicet gave a swift bow as he said, "I have to go now Angela, I'm sorry that I can't stay here any longer. But I'll be sure to tell your father soon"

Angela in turn gave a nod of approval. "It's alright. I'm really glad you came here to meet me. Maybe we meet each other again someday".

"I hope so too" Laphicet said, his face curved into a big smile as he left the room.

* * *

While the climate of Atlas was always cold and harsh, their winters were particularly brutal, even for Laphicet. Still, the state-of-the-art heating technology provided by the SDC meant that the Schnee household would always remain warm even in the coldest of nights. Yet, despite the harsh winter, the staff of the Schnee manor had no time to simply put down their working gloves as they began making preparations for Weiss's upcoming birthday.

And yet, despite the orders supposedly coming from either Willow or Jacques, Laphicet noted that neither of them seemed particularly concerned with their daughter's coming of age as they both seemed to keep to themselves. The malak did see his adopted mother getting some sort of present prepared for her, and despite their relationship not being as they were once before, she did ask him to give it to her on the day of her birthday. When asked about why she couldn't give to Weiss herself, she dodged the question and remained silent.

Laphicet for his part was rather nervous himself. While this wasn't the first time that he would be celebrating someone else's birthday, this one felt special considering that this would be the best chance he would have to try to bond with her. As such, it was a challenge for him when it came to finding an appropriate present for her. He wanted to give her something that would leave a strong impression on her, enough to change her opinion on him but at the same time, he wasn't exactly sure what kind of present she would like or what her preferences were: she was a girl after all.

He would spend nights, pacing back and forth while swiping over his scroll, agonizing over the details of what the ideal present would be for his sister, to the extent that he would sigh more than a hundred times per day. Not even Klein could help him on the matter as nearly all of his advice boiled down to "I'm certain she will appreciate whatever present you give her, Master Laphicet".

Ultimately, just a few days before the fated bash, something had caught his eye as he browsed through his scroll. Something that was very familiar to him as it was one of the few things he remembered fondly from his old life. While it wasn't exactly a compass and to his knowledge, Weiss wasn't someone who would be interested in such, it was something that Velvet held onto dearly and it was one of the first things she gave to him as a sign of trust.

Laphicet thought long and hard on the matter, before eventually deciding to stick to it. After all, it was something that he felt girls everywhere liked and the object itself was beautifully designed with elegant craftsmanship. The malak felt that if he was unsure, it would be for the best to stick to what he was comfortable with. Thus, as a present for his adopted sister, Laphicet decided to settle for…...a comb.

…..

Even if the furious winter season of Atlas raged on, there were certain times where the warmth of the sun would show mercy and shine a ray of light to once every few weeks to allow life to continue forward at a snail's pace. Even when high above Mantle, the icy winter showed no mercy, so these lapses in snowstorms seemed like the perfect opportunity for outside activities.

Laphicet certainly thought so, as he wasted no time making his way to the courtyards to soak up the early morning sun. Sitting in one of the benches outside, he narrowed his gaze curiously over to an object that he had placed on the table as he watched it with excitement. He placed a plate of sliced fruits next to the thing as it moved closer to it, as if intending on consuming it.

"Here you go Mr. Beetle, eat up" Laphicet said as he nudged the little creature towards the plate of fruits. Despite the frigid environment of Solitus as well as the fact that Atlas was floating island high up in the atmosphere, insect life flourished in spite of the circumstances. Some species even managed to fly all the way up from ground land below, while others were brought in on purpose, with the intent of actively allowing them to pollinate some of the plant life here. Thus, there were more insects then one might have initially suspected due to the symbiotic relationships some of them shared with the flora.

For a bug enthusiast like Laphicet, this was something to rejoice over as it meant that he could continue with one of his favorite hobbies, provided he kept it away from the rest of his family: his instincts told him that they would not appreciate the sight of him holding insects so casually. While it did cross his mind to screw around with Whitley by putting a bug to his face just to see his reaction, he never got around to doing it out of uncertainty and fear that he might harm the bug in question. So, for the moment, he was content with just watching this strange species of rhino beetle consume a slice of banana as if it was the greatest form of entertainment in the world.

"Had I known that you would be feeding those fruits I sliced for you to your Ummm…pet, in an open courtyard, I might have had protested against it, Master Laphicet", the Malak's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the Schnee butler as he approached him.

"I know" Laphicet replied as he turned around to face him, "but Mr. Beetle has been staying in my room for so long, I wanted him to get some sunlight".

Klein chuckled at his reply, before standing next to him and reached for the plate, as he took out a banana slice and fed it to the insect. 'You do know that you cannot keep him inside this box forever".

Laphicet sighed as he replied, "I know Klein, but they won't let me get a proper place to keep bugs in and I'm only keeping him until winter is over".

"Speaking of winters, have you thought of a present for you sister?" Klein asked.

"I have. But it's surprise" Laphicet answered with a cheeky grin.

Klein looked to his left and right side, as if to make to sure no one was watching before his eyes changed to pink as he leaned in closer to Laphicet until he reached his ears as he whispered, "I know what it is, but don't worry. Your secret is safe with me".

As he leaned back, he could see surprised look that his charge was giving him while gagging under his own words. "H-how did you….?"

"Is something the matter, Master Laphicet? I haven't the faintest idea as to what you are trying to say, ohohohoho" Klein placed a hand on his chin and bashfully feigned ignorance. He quietly muttered to Phi with his left hand covering the right side of his face as he winked, "Don't worry, sweetie, I won't tell a soul".

Thankfully, it was enough to reassure him as Laphicet let his guard down. "So…do you think she'll like it?".

"I'm not sure if Miss Schnee will like it, though with all of the extravagant gifts she's been accustomed to reviewing, something as simple as yours would be a welcome change of pace" the butler answered, returning to his default persona.

"Really?" Laphicet asked as he raised a brow.

"What matters in the end, Master Laphicet, is that your gift should come from the heart. And I know yours is in the right place" Klein reassured him.

"Well, if she doesn't like me after this, then I don't think anything I do will" Laphicet quipped.

"Now, now. Don't say such things, my little prince" Klein objected as he continued, "after all, this is a momentous occasion. You should at least be excited over the party".

Laphicet frowned as he answered, "I guess so".

"Good" Klein shrugged as he sat next to him, "now then, I'm sure Mr. Beetle needs his daily calorie intake before the sun dies out. We should help him".

Phi let out a sigh once before cracking a smile, "okay".

…

As the warm sun eventually retreated back into the dark clouds, so too did Laphicet and Klein return to the warm interior of the manor. Taking a stroll around the place while the servants were busy making preparations for the bash, Laphicet made sure to keep the bug well hidden in a small box he carried around with him so as to not accidentally frightened one of the staff and possibly start a chain reaction of unfathomable disaster. If that were to happen, he sure that a certain someone would hate his guts for eternity, not that it was difficult to begin with.

Entering his room, he placed the box on his study table as it rested comfortably next to another box that was smaller in size. "Ah, is that the one Master Laphicet?" Klein commented.

"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone about it, Klein" Laphicet answered as he stared at the object.

"Of course, I made a promise before and I will do so again: my lips are sealed" the butler mimicked a scene where he metaphorically zipped his mouth shut, giving Laphicet cause to smile. "Anyways, have you begun wrapping the present yet?"

The boy sat on his chair as he gently opened the casing, revealing a wooden comb of elaborate design and craftsmanship; it consisted of a snowflake like design that dominated the top while being supplemented by floral patterns. The teeth were long with thickness varying at the end of each spectrum, perfectly suited for someone with long hair. "I'm thinking of doing it as soon as possible but I'm not really sure how to do it. Can you help me Klein?"

"It would be my honor" Klein said as he gave a swift bow, "speaking of which, may I suggest we also make a birthday gift card for Miss Weiss as well".

"A birthday card for her?" Laphicet titled his head as he asked.

"Indeed. It would compliment that beautiful comb nicely and it would help you express your feelings better through your writing without the need to fumble over words as you would should you be speaking to her" Klein explained.

Laphicet closed the casing as he rested a hand on his chin while his eyes wandered around as if in deep thought. Suddenly, the malak seemed to have snapped back into reality as his face gleamed with joy. "That's a great idea Klein!" he exclaimed, "but how do I get started on this?"

"Hmmm" Klein pondered on for a moment, "I was thinking of helping you today, but my schedule says otherwise, unfortunately. So how about you start by writing what you want to say to her on the card and I will help you make one tomorrow. We could simply buy one but I think something made by your own two hands with words written from your heart would have a greater impact. What do you think?".

"I think I'd like that" Phi replied.

"Very well then, I will begin preparing the materials needed as soon as possible" the butler gave him another bow before slowing showing himself out the door.

Now all alone with no one but the insect to keep him company, Laphicet took out a piece of note from the study table and opened it, while taking a pencil with his other hand as he took a deep breath. Before he could start however, he hesitated for a moment as turned his gaze towards the box where the insect was kept.

Opening it, he let out a smile as he turned his attention back to the blank paper as he prepared himself to write the words down. "Alright Mr. beetle, how do you think I should start?"

* * *

Rummaging through the messy study table, Laphicet grabbed hold of the pencil as he began scribbling onto a piece of paper with such intensity, that it nearly seemed like it would tear off at the slightest pressure. Next to him were mountains of crumbled paper that began overflowing from the wastebasket as they stacked on top of one another.

After a few minutes, he finally laid down his pencil as he took hold of the final piece of paper and raised it up with a gleaming smile. "There, it's done!" he proclaimed with great pride as he stood up from his seat with excitement. "Now let's take this to Klein" he stated, leaving his room with paper in hand.

Yet in his state of contagious anticipation, Laphicet had failed to realize that a looming figure had entered his room just as he left it, with unknown intentions.

….

"This is just perfect! I didn't think Klein could make something this nice" Laphicet looked like he was on cloud nine as he walked through the hallways with the newly made card in hand, excitedly making his way back to his room. He had entertained the idea of giving his presents to her right away rather than wait for tomorrow on that important day, though ultimately, he decided against it as he felt that it would ruin the special feeling of the present.

As he opened the door to his room, Laphicet walked back to his study table only to be shocked by the sight of what could only be described as a disaster for him. Not only was the casing for his comb missing while the comb was out in the open, his insect box was uncovered and worst of all, his beetle was missing!

With a gasp, his eyes widened as he began frantically searching for the little creature. "Oh no!" he exclaimed as he looked left and right in the hopes that his precious insect was still around somewhere. It was a priority to him over the fate of that comb box as it could easily be replaced while a life of his pet bug was irreplaceable. "Mr. Beetle? Where are you?!" he called out, rummaging through the messy papers and looking underneath his table.

Suddenly, a loud shriek echoed through the entire manor as it took Laphicet by surprise. Regaining his composure, he put two and two together, before coming up with a hunch that the insect was at the center of that scream. Realizing that this might the best chance to get both the bug and his casing back, Laphicet took the comb from his table and placed it in his pocket while exiting the door.

Outside his room, it was apparent that the scream was audible enough that it had shaken everyone else as well since the staff were looking at each other with visible fear and confusion. Retracing the sound of the echoed back to its source, Laphicet could only gulp in fear as he felt his worst fears were possibly coming true: It was Weiss's room.

Running with all of the strength his legs could carry, Laphicet bolted for the door, not caring if he was entering a girl's room without her permission: the life of that bug, depended on him!

Crashing through the door, Laphicet was exposed to the sight of a terrified Weiss who looked like she was ready to stomp out the little creature underneath her heel, while being oblivious to the presence of Phi. "Wait!" Laphicet shouted as he made a mad dash towards them, quickly kneeling down and tenderly clasping the insect in the palm of his hands. "I'm so sorry Mr. beetle, I should've been more careful" he heaved a sigh of relief as he looked at the insect with a smile, "I'm just glad you're safe".

Weiss, however, was not amused.

"You!" the heiress shot an angry glare at the boy, "what is the meaning of this?!"

"I- "

"Is this some kind of cruel joke? Do think this is funny!?" Weiss snarled as she pointed her finger at him.

"No! It's nothing like that!" Laphicet justified, however his plea fell on deaf ears as Weiss continued lashing out.

"Oh, I see. It's not enough that you had to take everything I had; you have to rub it to my face! Isn't that right?"

"Weiss, that's not true! I'd never do something like that"

"Don't lie to me. You think that just because they took you in, that means you're one of us? That you have the right to call me by my name and act like I'm your sister? It's baffling to me that someone like you could be so naïve" Weiss was at that point where there was no longer a filter between her mind and her mouth as she continued berating the young malak.

Laphicet was, by all accounts, the sweetest child there ever was. At least from the perspectives of those who have met him. Despite all his posturing and pouting about how he was a wicked, selfish little boy who ran with a troupe of even worse people, it mostly fell on deaf ears since for all that big talk about being bad, Laphicet was really, really terrible at being actually bad since his own idea of what it meant to be wicked was a far cry from what it really was.

That being said, he wasn't an extreme doormat, a shrinking violet nor someone's punching bag either. If he learned anything from being with the likes of Eizen, Velvet and even Rokurou, it was that even he had limits and when it was too much, he needed to stick it to the people responsible, no matter who it was.

Those big round eyes of his narrowed into a menacing glare of its own as his whole faced frowned into something more aggressive.

"What does that even mean!? Why do you hate me so much!?" Laphicet was just as sharp tongued and loud as Weiss was in order to match her levels of intensity.

"Because you stole from me! You stole my mother, you stole Klein, and you even tried to steal Winter from me. They were only things that mattered to me in this world and you tried to take them from me. You, a nobody, waltzed in and acted like you belonged here, parading around like one of us and pretending to care! You are just like my father!" Weiss stomped her feet as she ranted on with venom in her words.

"I didn't ask to be Schnee, I never wanted to be here and I never wanted to take anything away from you. All I ever wanted was to understand you and be the little brother you'd want!" Laphicet yelled back with equal ferocity.

"You are a usurper, no different from father! You are not my brother and you will never be one!"

By this time, the two had given up on anything resembling a civil discussion as venomous words were hurled at each other. The sheer animosity between the two was such, that they were one short snap from escalating to physical violence and from the looks of it, this was turning out to be coming true unless a mediator stepped in.

Thankfully, it came in the form of someone both were very familiar with and would most likely listen to.

"I think it would be for the best if the both of you gave each other some space and let cooler heads prevail" Klein immediately stepped between the two of them as both Weiss and Laphicet continued to angrily stare at each other. However, the both seemed to have heeded Klein's suggestion as they both stopped talking and simply remained silent.

Eventually, Weiss was the first to back off as she crossed her arms and turned towards the opposite direction with an audible yet distasteful "hmph".

Laphicet followed suit as he eased himself before reaching for his pocket and taking out the comb, "I'm sorry I exist. Here's your stupid birthday gift!" he tossed the comb to the ground before storming off, "do whatever you want with it".

…..

Silence filled the room as Klein nervously looked on at the aftermath of the war on words that had just been waged. Even if everything was intact as it did not escalate to destructive levels, it felt as if a storm had just ravaged through and the survivors were left stunned and speechless.

"Don't you think you were a little too harsh on him, Miss Schnee?" Klein gently tried to nudge an answer out of her. Yet, she stood still in silence, almost as if she was trying to block out all of the outside voices.

Klein stepped forward, a little bit nervous at the prospect of his charge snapping and lashing out again. At first, he thought of how similar these two were, of the circumstances they face and yet, these similarities only drove them further apart. Seeing as how volatile and unpredictable Weiss was at the moment, the butler thought it was for the best that he gives her some space.

"I suppose, I'll be taking this comb and it's casing with me, since you won't be needing it" he said with a gentle tone as he picked up the comb from the ground "All that he ever wanted, was for you to acknowledge him, you know? He never cared about the wealth or the family title". Looking at it now, Klein thought this item was certainly beautiful with elegant craftsmanship and bright jewelry that would befit someone of high status. The fact that Laphicet went through all the trouble to get one for her as well as asking for his help in making a gift card, showed just how much of her approval he wanted. Sadly, now it seems that was all for naught as he slowly made his way towards the table to grab the casing.

"Klein?"

The butler shot a look of surprise at his charge suddenly speaking up as he turned towards her, only to see Weiss standing in the same position as before.

"Yes, Miss Schnee?"

"Can you keep those things on the table. I…. just want to look at it"

"Of course, Miss Schnee" he bowed as he placed the comb inside the casing and departed in order to give her some privacy. Leaving the room, Klein decided to make his way towards Laphicet, whom he guessed, was in his own room as well, his own face lightened at the prospect that there still might be hope after all.

…

Klein's guess turned out to be correct as Laphicet really was in his room, standing and sulking around. Look at his room, he could tell that the mess he had made all to get a present for Weiss had almost been for naught, evident by the look of frustration on the boy's face. Yet, even so, he found it strange that the birthday card was in his study table next to the insect box and not in the waste bin as he would've expected. A pleasant surprise, to say the least.

"Are you thinking of leaving, Master Laphicet" Klein gently coaxed as he approached him.

"And what if I'am? Are you going to stop me?" the boy grumbled. He was in a grumpy mood for sure, and for good reasons: His adopted sister had completely and utterly rejected him, refusing to acknowledge him; worse still, she compared him to Jacques of all people. The two were so different in personalities as the sun and moon were, that Klein was shocked to realize that she resented him that much. And nobody could blame him, for any person in his position would feel just as angry as he was; confused, hurt and betrayed.

Still, if there was one thing Klein was really good at, it was making people feel better about themselves, especially those he served under. "Well, I won't stop you, dear Master. You have every right to feel this way" the butler said, taking Laphicet out of his pouty face and into something that seemed more like a look of genuine surprise at the answer that was given.

"But if you did, I think it would break your mother's heart…...and mine as well"

"Klein" Laphicet said with a hitch in his voice. He really didn't see this answer coming.

"I know things are difficult, but please, do not give up on this life or your family just yet. You mean the world to so many here, even if you don't see it. And Weiss…please, give her another chance" he pleaded.

Small bits of tears were forming in the boy's face before he quickly wiped them off and regained his composure. That stern, pouty façade had returned, "If Weiss doesn't want to talk to me then I won't talk to her either. She's hates me as much as she hates father, so I'm done trying to get her to like me because it's just not going to work. So, if she doesn't want me to be her brother, then I won't,".

"Of course- "

"But…...I won't run away either. If you don't want me to…. that is" the façade slipped for a moment as Phi momentarily returned to that precocious child that he was, "Even if I don't like father and mother keeps sticking to the bottle, Winter hasn't given up on me, so I'll stay to be the best brother for her, and even Whitley".

Klein couldn't help but respect the determination that the boy held, even in the face of such adversity.

"I'm glad to hear it. Just know, that I will always be there to support you Master Laphicet" Klein reassured him with a beaming smile on his face.

"I know Klein" Laphicet nodded, "That's why I'm counting on you".

A smile had finally returned to the young malaks face as he shared in this moment. It may not have been the conclusion he had wanted but at the very least the air had been cleared and he knew where he stood on, at least when it concerned Weiss and that and that was something he counted as a gain. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, just who in the world, stole his bug and send it to Weiss?

* * *

**Apologies for taking this one longer than usual. A nasty cyclone hit near the place where I lived and we didn't have electricity for weeks. **

**This chapter was both difficult and easy to write. Hope you enjoy it and stay safe out there.**


	8. Chapter 8

The day that everyone had been working towards had arrived and while there was much celebration to be had in anticipation for the bash amongst the staff and nearly everyone else, there was a certain individual who wasn't feeding off of the same energy that the others were emanating. Rather, it almost seemed like the energy was sucked out of him entirely and all that was left was a moody, scowling, wet blanket.

Of course, he had his reasons for it and nearly everyone else had a good idea of what it was, albeit through rumors that exaggerated some parts of it. But in the end, it mattered little to Laphicet when it came to other people's opinion as he had now chosen to deliberately distance himself from Weiss for the time being.

The celebration it seems, included various people of high influence paying lip service to his adopted parents as they entertained the guests in their own way. Far from one another; almost as if they were total strangers to each other. And yet, despite all of this, they both commanded respect in their own way as their guests listened to them intently. Laphicet sometimes wondered how much they could've accomplished, if they actually tried to get along and appreciate one other.

Speaking of respect, Phi looked on as his passive aggressive brother made attempts to court the guests in his own way, or rather, mimic what Jacques was doing. For Whitley, the apple really didn't fall far from the tree since he made it clear how much he idolized and respected his father and had zero tolerance for any sort of criticism levied against the Schnee patriarch. This was certainly in stark contrast to Weiss and Winter.

And much to his disappointment, the one sibling who actually gave him some measure of respect, despite her stoic demeaner, wasn't present at the moment. Even with her seemingly intimidating presence, Winter was the only one of his siblings whose presence Laphicet enjoyed at the moment, since she actually seemed to give a damn about him rather than snark at him like Whitley or outright despise him like Weiss. Other than Klein, Winter was the only other friendly face in the whole family, so it saddened him that her duties in the military meant she couldn't attend Weiss's birthday party, something that seemed to bother Weiss as well.

'_Seems like we have something in common, at least' Laphicet_ sulked as he rested on the edge of the balcony and watched the party from afar. Observing the event from a distance, he caught a glimpse of Weiss wondering around aimlessly, despite being the sole reason for why the party was made in the first place. _'Guess even she misses Winter'_, Laphicet thought to himself as his face turned into a scowl. He wasn't exactly going to start feeling sorry for her again, especially after the things that she said to him, but he did understand that her strong bond with Winter was one of the main reasons for her resentment towards him and her apparent belief that he was stealing one of the only two people she still admired and looked up to. Maybe by a very small fraction he could understand that, though it still didn't justify the way she treated him like dirt.

Not that he cared. Right?

The malak shook his head intensely as he tried to get her out of his mind. Snapping out of his deep thought, he had noticed that the scenery in the party had changed. His mother Willow had left the courtyard: probably for some more private sessions with alcohol, while Jacques had taken centre stage and started bragging loudly about something. Weiss it seems, was forced to stand uncomfortably beside their father as he continued his charade and Whitley-

"I never expected you to isolate yourself like this. Is the presence of our esteemed guests too much for you?"

Whitley appeared from behind as Laphicet jolted in surprise. He had a tendency to do that.

"I'm not hiding" he grumbled as he turned to face his brother before diverting his gaze back to the event at hand, "I just don't think there's anything fun about this stupid party"

Whitley smirked as he stood beside Laphicet, leaning on the railing "ah…I see. It seems that certain 'incident', has left a sour taste in your mouth"

"Well, I did warn you about Weiss" the older Schnee's eyes met Laphicets', almost as if he was rubbing it into his face. The malak responded with annoyance at first, before it slowly morphed into skepticism as thoughts and theories began forming inside his head: after all, Mr. beetle didn't exactly move on his own from one room all the way to another across a mansion so quickly. And who else would have such vendetta against Weiss and himself in order to drive a wedge between both of them?

"I know what you must be thinking, and yes, it is true that I have a disdain for both my sisters and barely any tolerance for you" Whitley answered, seemingly in response to suspicious glare that Laphicet was giving him. Phi himself was taken aback by how observant he was, almost as if he had read his thoughts. "But unfortunately, I was not at home on that fateful day. As matter of fact, I was busy accompanying father for one of his business meetings. You can ask the Klein if you feel the need to find proof of my innocence" he continued with his usual gesture of grandiose.

Laphicet turned his gaze towards the party in embarrassment, hastily forming up an apology, "I-I'm sorry. I…. didn't mean to imply anything".

Whitley stood straight as he turned around with his arms crossed as he faced Laphicet. "Of course, you didn't, you do not know me or my ways" he rolled his eyes as he answered back, "not that I had any hopes for you to begin with, but it is quite disappointing for you to be this gullible".

"But" he leaned in closer to Phi's ear as his tone became more serious, menacing even, "please do try to be more with your accusations. I won't be as forgiving the next time, little brother".

Whitley patted the malaks' shoulder before taking his leave, though instead of the usual stunned silence, Laphicet stood his ground, crossing his arms and giving Whitley a flippant "hmph", something the white-haired boy did not respond to directly in his face but seemed genuinely surprised by this new attitude behind him. He grumbled under his breath as he turned his attention back to the party at hand. For moment there, it almost felt like he was talking to Jacques himself with those menacing implied threats that he loved to give. Then again, Whitley was the only person who ever seemed to speak glowingly of their father, so it only made sense that he would mimic his mannerisms too. And just like their father, both enjoyed getting on other people's nerves, trying to remind people of their place; Phi was certain he was going to vaporize both of them someday.

The number of friendly faces that Laphicet had on this household could be counted on with one hand, so he probably regretted promising Klein that he wouldn't run away, considering he was going to be stuck with three people who treated him like dirt and the other half of Remnant hating his guts because of the family he was adopted into. Part of him wanted to travel to the past and stop his old self from accepting Willow's offer, if that were ever possible. Sure, he'd never meet Klein or Winter, but at the very least the people who worked there like Valerie and Gregory were unconditionally warm and kind to him, alongside the friends he made like Chael and Nana.

Still, he had made his choice and if he were to stay true to his conviction, he would endure this no matter what. Regret was not an acceptable part of that creed. Besides that, he figured he'd outlast them sooner or later considering how short-lived humans and even faunus were compared to his kind, but quickly shook off that thought on account of how dark and morbid it felt.

* * *

Other than the incident with Whitely, no one else bothered Laphicet for the rest of the party, not even Klein and for once, he preferred it that way. Not that it mattered anyway, since the bash was coming to an end and all of the guests began leaving one by one. Laphicet heaved a sigh of relieve at this, feeling grateful that he wasn't being pestered like he was months ago during Weiss's performance, and now he could finally move around in relative peace.

"Master Laphicet! I've been looking all over for you" a very familiar voice called out to him. Thankfully, it was someone that Phi was still on good terms with, or to be more precise, one of the few people who was always unconditionally kind to him.

"Klein?" Laphicet turned around, responding to the calls of the Schnee butler.

"I know I will most likely get a predictable answer but…... I heard from Master Whitley that you were in the balcony sulking. Did you not enjoy the party"? Klein motioned his hand in a gesture that suggested curiosity as he smiled.

Laphicet scratched the back of his head as he diverted his gaze away from Klein, "N-no, I didn't feel like having fun".

"Ah…" Klein raised his brow upon hearing the answer, "as expected, of course". Phi glanced at the older man for the moment as he tried to respond.

"Master Laphicet" the butler interrupted, "I understand the need to have some space to cool off, but the both of you have been keeping this charade for a long while now. I do not think it is healthy for either of you to remain in this state indifference".

The lecture immediately set the boy off as Laphicet crossed his arms and furrowed his brows to from the meanest glare he could. "Well she started it! And it's not like she cares about me anyway!" Phi angrily responded.

"That is true" Klein nodded as he gently placed his right hand onto Laphicets shoulder, "mostly". The boy tilted his head in confusion at the sudden twist that the butler gave in his response as he asked, "What do you mean 'mostly'?"

"Hmm, how do I put it…?" Klein retracted back as he stood upright and placed a hand on his chin, "remember those gifts you had bought and made for her? I recently went over to her room and found them in perfect condition. Even the birthday card! I believe Miss Weiss has been taking good care of them!" he continued, with excitement in his tone.

"Really? I…. have a hard time believing that" Laphicet narrowed his eyes as he raised a single brow, a clear sign of skepticism on his part: after all, Klein was uncharacteristically kind to everyone in the household, not just with him. Additionally, the butlers' close relationship with Weiss did add weight to the fact that he might just be making up a ploy to repair the damaged relationship. As good as his intentions were, Phi felt that it wasn't going to be that easy and to an extent, Weiss probably thought the same too, if she had an ounce of remorse or regret that is.

"I would never lie to you Master Laphicet!" Klein defended, "in fact, if you want proof, you can enter her room and see it for yourself".

Klein eyes immediately widened as he realized what he had just said, quickly retracting his statement and adding a warning, "I-I mean, only when Miss Weiss is not around, of course! I wouldn't want for another misunderstanding"

Rather than react to that answer, Laphicet came up with another question of his own as he scratched his head again, "but I thought somebody else did all the cleaning for her room. So, what were you doing in a girl's room, without her permission, in the first place?"

The butler froze in place as he choked on his words, while sweat started dripping from his forehead. A few more seconds of awkward silence followed before Klein's body language began shifting to a more effeminate one. "Ohohohoho, well that's a secret, sweetie" he awkwardly answered, trying his best to sound confident.

Phi, however, was unfazed by the answer as he stood his ground and continued to watch the butler with suspicious intent. The silent stare down went on for a couple of seconds longer before a snortle slipped out from that stoned face stare of Phi, eventually morphing into a giggle and finally a hearty laugh; one that was eventually joined in by Klein as well.

"I'm glad you can get a laugh at the expense of a fraction of my dignity" Klein, who had returned to his default persona, joked before regaining his composure.

"Sorry about that Klein" Phi apologized with smile.

"Don't worry about it" Klein brushed off the apology," it's all in good fun".

"Thanks again Klein. You always know how to lighten up my day" the young malak complemented.

"I do what I must, little Master" Klein respectfully bowed, "though it is getting late, so it's best I take my leave".

"I understand" Phi nodded in agreement, "see you tomorrow Klein" he continued, bidding his farewell as the two started going their separate ways.

"And Master Laphicet" Klein called out, stopping Phi in his tracks, "I almost forgot".

"What is it?" the malak asked as he turned around once again.

"Tomorrow, your family is appointing a new butler to work here. He is quite young, so he will be learning under me after I come back from my leave to serve both you, Master Whitley and Miss Weiss" he explained.

"Really? You're leaving for a while?" Laphicet replied, genuinely curious as to where this announcement was going.

"Indeed. This was to be a surprise but I reckon that you could be trusted with this secret. I hope he will serve you and your siblings to the best of his abilities" Klein continued explaining as he bowed.

"Umm…well, I don't know what I'm supposed to really say to you right now but…. I hope I'll get along with him just like I did with you" the boy answered with a smile, trying to be a hopeful as ever.

"I would like nothing more than that, young Master".

* * *

Hollow. It was the perfect word to describe everything that was happening around her, despite the fact that this very day was supposed to be filled with momentous joy and happiness. For Weiss, nearly all of her birthday parties have felt like this for a long time: people her age pretending to be her friends while being as insufferable as possible, adults giving out fake smiles and false praises at her all the while she was being paraded around like some sort of trophy for her father to brag about.

While it's true that such things would dishearten most people, including herself to an extent, Weiss was at that point in her life where she just didn't feel like caring about any of this. Her enthusiasm and joy seemed to have been beaten to the point of apathy as she stood still while her father blabbered on about the greatness of their family.

In spite of all of this however, there was still a small faction of joy to be had in the form of two people who at least cared for her and had her best interest at heart: her servant Klein and her older sister Winter. Weiss felt that those two were the only bright sparks remaining in her glassy empty life, the only people who actually seemed to give a damn about her.

And now, even that kindle of hope seemed to be diminishing at a fast rate. The very thought of Klein and Winter no longer paying adequate attention to her and diverting that affection to someone underserving angered her greatly; and all of this started when that boy arrived.

She didn't know who he was or where he originally came from, and to be honest, she couldn't really care less about it. All that concerned Weiss was the fact that he had begun taking away everything she cared about in such a short time. The worst part was the fact that it was her mother who took him in and decided to make him an official Schnee, meaning she had to put up with the idea of him being her brother. It frustrated her to no end, trying to figure out what exactly her mother saw in the boy to take him in as one of them, especially considering the fact that she had become cold and distant towards her and everyone else, opting the company of the bar and bottles in it. This was one of the very few things she and Whitley seemed to agree on, even if Whitley seemed to tolerate that kid more than she ever could.

Despite the fact that she was essentially forced to stand still as a statue while rows of rich, shallow people gathered around her, babbling amongst themselves, Weiss found ways to distract herself from this suffocation by way of using her eyes to look around the courtyard, letting them wander to any and all sights that did not include the ones she was in: it had become her way of zoning out of any predicament that rendered her bored or uncomfortable as well as being her new source of entertainment in the absence of Klein and his 'interesting' personalities.

As her eyes glanced around, looking for any signs of interest, something had quickly caught their attention. Weiss looked up to see a lone figure standing at one of the balconies, isolated from the rest of the party. Narrowing her eyes to increase their focus, it became all to clear who that figure was: it was none other than that boy, the one who had become the source of her resentment, '_Laugh- fee- something?...'_ it bothered Weiss that she couldn't pronounce his full name correctly, obviously not out of any goodness of her heart, but merely out of personal obligations to maintain etiquette as expected of the Schnee heiress. She felt like she had gotten the first two parts of his name correct, but the final phase of it just seemed to elude her. Scratching her head, the white-haired girl thought hard on it, knowing that it rhymed with the act of placing things in their respective place or a group of objects neatly arranged, like …...a…set. Yes! Of course, that was the word she was looking for. '_Laugh-fee-set!' _a beaming smile drew across her face, so full of pride as if she had just solved a difficult puzzle.

Unfortunately for her, it was not something that went unnoticed as rows of confused stares directed her way, probably due to the uncharacteristic smile that had been formed on her face. Her reaction was swift as she straightened herself out immediately and gave a small cough as a means of salvaging her dignity. Thankfully, the guests seemed to have taken the hint or lost interest as they proceeded to go back to their usual routine of showing off how rich and empty, they were.

Weiss heaved a sigh of relief as her bluff paid off, before diverting her attention back to the boy standing at the balcony. Still wondering as to what exactly was so special about him that her mother, Klein and Winter would pay special attention to him over her, Weiss couldn't help but notice that he seemed …...lonely. '_Does he not enjoy a life of wealth?' _she thought to herself, especially after that ridiculous, insulting prank he pulled off. As a matter of fact, contrary to what she was seeing, Weiss was expecting him to be bursting with pride over the fact that he rubbed it into her face that he was the new center of attention.

* * *

After spending an entire evening surrounded by loud, obnoxious snobs, the quiet tranquility of her room felt like heaven. And yet, even as she laid on her warm bed amidst the cold winter, Weiss found it rather difficult to fall asleep. Every time she tried to close her eyes; her mind would unravel back to that incident several days prior, the day when she was involved in a heated argument with that Laphicet kid. She remembered in detail every venomous word that had been thrown around, engaging in an argument of that intensity not seen since the one she had with Whitley ages ago.

And for reasons she could not fathom, it bothered her. Especially whenever she kept looking over that comb, the one he had supposedly wanted to give to her for her birthday. Sure, it wasn't something he made by hand but considering the beautiful craftsmanship, it had to have taken a lot of effort to find it and pay for it. The white-haired girl found it difficult to believe that someone like him would go to such lengths for her.

It bothered more than she realistically expected. Every time she thought about it, there was a groundswell of mixed emotions bottling up inside her. Was it guilt? Remorse? Regret? or Worry based on the idea that she had essentially perpetuated another cycle of hatred?

Regardless, what's done was done. She had said her peace and he probably did as well, making it unlikely that either of them would ever mend this: something she was all too aware of.

Eventually, fatigue and tiredness won over as the Schnee heiress was finally able to rid herself of these doubts and finally get a good night's rest. With tomorrow, she had hoped that she would be able to move past whatever had happened days ago and finally find a way to look forward.

* * *

Morning came and with it, a loud knock on her door, signifying the need for her to get up from her bed and begin her daily activities. Klein was as punctual as ever with his timely arrival as he continued knocking on the door.

"I'm coming" the Schnee heiress lazily answered, in an attempt to stop the irritating knocks from continuing. Despite not even drinking, Weiss felt like she had the worst hangover of her life. Slowly making her way to the door, she rubbed her eyes before straightening herself out and opening the door…...

Only to find out that the person behind the door was not Klein but someone else entirely. He was younger, MUCH younger than Klein, almost appearing to be closer to her age or even slightly older, with a short but heavily blonde hair and blue eyes, porcelain face and slender frame, all the while wearing the same attire that all the other staff wore.

The sight of the stranger caused Weiss to stumble backwards as she fell on the ground. The new butler's eyes widened as he immediately panicked before making his way to her. "F-forgive me if I've startled you Miss Weiss" the boy nervously said as he extended his hand out to help her get up. Weiss was initially hesitant to accept his offer as she stared at him warily before eventually conceding.

"Who are you?" the white-haired girl asked, still eying him with suspicion. "Oh…of course" the young man almost seemed startled by her question, before quickly standing up in attention with the expected pose required of a butler, "allow me to introduce myself: My name is Bismarck Dorian and I'am a butler in training. In particular, I will be student of Mister Sieben and as such, it will be my duty is to assist him in assisting you in daily matters".

Weiss's expression remained uncaring but she did give an affirmative "I see". Resting a hand on her chin, she continued asking "so where is Klein?"

"Mister Sieben is currently on leave and has left me to step into his shoes for the moment" Bismarck answered. Hearing this, Weiss stared at him in bewilderment entwined by a feeling of shock and confusion as she raised her brows, "Klein is…. on leave?".

"Yes, it was granted to him by Mrs. Willow. It was for this reason that I was called in earlier than expected" the butler replied.

Weiss couldn't contain her frustration at what was happening. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she left out an angry sigh, something Bismarck took notice of. "Is something the matter? Miss Weiss?" he worriedly asked.

"Nothing you should be concerned with. Just tell me when he will return"

"A week or two at most"

Bismarck thought that answer must have pushed the wrong buttons in her as she began to pierce through to his very soul with a menacing glare. The helpless butler couldn't help but feel like he had just earned her scorn through no fault of his own as he began to nervously sweat bullets.

"Please, leave me for a while" Weiss stated in a chilling tone. It was nevertheless enough for Bismarck to take the hint and back away slowly.

"O-of course. In the meantime, I'll just- "

The door slammed shut in his face, stopping him mid-sentence,

"-introduce myself to the others."

* * *

**Note:**

**I'm Baaacckk!**

**Apologies for the two month hiatus but there was a lot of work going on. This chapter is a little bit shorter since I'm just trying to get back into the groove of writing this story again after a long while. Hopefully, i'll try to upload a lot more frequently from now on, at least until February 2021.**

**Gravenimage - Thank you so much for you kind words. The cyclone stuff sucked but it didn't hit my area that badly since I live in the mountains, but our electricity was messed up for a while. It's all good now though. I want to let you know that your ardent support for this story is one of the main reasons I keep writing.**

**Final Note:**

**These past two months, I've been doing a lot of rethinking on this story (and I've been playing a lot of games like Fire Emblem and Rune Factory as of late) and so I've decided to take this story in a completely different direction from the canon RWBY story while also tying in between Berseria and Zesteria as well. So that means I'm also gonna be adding a lot of concepts, lore and backstories that don't exist in either series and add in a some OCs that will be integral to this story and have strong ties to certain characters in the Berseria/Zesteria lore (like Bismarck) . Don't worry, I won't make them god sues nor will I make them the focus of attention: Laphicet and Weiss, along with their development and their relationship will always be the star of this story. Unfortunalely, I want to make it be known that Ruby, Blake and Yang will not have a strong connection as I wanted to originally have, so I want to sincerely apologize in advance to those who wanted it. I do plans for other minor characters though, (no spoilers).**

**Once again, so sorry for the absence, and thank you all for sticking around. I'll work hard to make this story worth your time.**


	9. Chapter 9

A morning without Klein was a strange morning for the Schnee children, more so for Weiss and Whitley, both of whom had known him since they were barely crawling. Whether it was him listening to their constant demands and ramblings or trying to entertain them in his own special way, there was no doubt that he was a constant presence in their lives.

And now for the first time ever, he was missing from them. Even the idea of him coming back after a just a week or two didn't seem to bring any comfort for Weiss, and even Whitley seemed slightly bothered by it, though admitting it outright was another story entirely.

Unfortunately, it also meant that whoever was left behind to replace him, even if it was meant to be only temporarily, would have to meet many unreasonably standards. To someone like Weiss, Klein had set the standard for what a servant should be and there was absolutely no way that any substitute could ever fill in his shoes. Sadly, this meant that for the newcomer Bismarck, he was now in a position of being the sole target for scorn for the unintentional crime of replacing someone as beloved as his soon to be mentor Klein.

Bismarck now had to suffer the misfortune of having to be bossed around the entire morning by Weiss as she dragged him across the entire manor, forcing him to fulfill several of her demands whether he understood them or not. The young man, for his part, obeyed them without question and tried to complete them to the best of his abilities. Perhaps, it was out of some professional obligation, or maybe he thought this was some sort of test: a secret examination. There might have been a part of him that believed that this was his way of paying his dues before he completed his training just as all his predecessors had done before.

"Now normally, I would put off on reading my notes for my vocal lessons the day after but today I will require them after my practice for review" Weiss ordered as she walked around the hallways, with Bismarck trailing behind. He was carrying what appeared to be large stacks of books on one hand while simultaneously typing all of the Schnee's demands on a scroll that sat atop of those books and by some miracle, he was maintaining enough balance so as to not drop all of them.

"Understood, Miss Weiss" he replied.

"Oh, and one more thing: I will require warm tea for my throat after my sessions. They need to be lemon flavored mixed in with honey. In addition, - "Weiss continued rambling on and on as the blonde youth tried to note down all of her demands, all the while watching his mistress remain oblivious to the sight of curious and confused onlookers watching them as they passed by.

One such bystander, was the young Laphicet who stood by and watched with an odd mix of confusion and pity at the sight of the new butler getting henpecked by someone who he wasn't exactly on good terms with.

Thankfully, much to his relief, she completely ignored him and walked right past him without giving him a second thought. However, the same could not be said of the new butler, who tried to greet him with a smile and a respectful nod.

"Hello there, Master Laphicet" Bismarck said while Laphicet slowly looked over to greet back.

"Bismarck? What are you doing?"!? a familiar voice immediately snapped him to attention as he hastily ran over to her.

"Forgive me, Master Laphicet but I have to go. See you later" the young butler said as he rushed over to her at full speed, leaving the puzzled boy.

….

Several hours had passed since morning and midday was in full swing as the sun shone its brightest yet, bringing warmth to the world amidst the cold winter. Laphicet himself had mostly finished his own lessons for the day and thought of a way to excuse himself after several hours of non-stop studying. Strolling down the main square seemed like the perfect alternative spot since the garden was already occupied by Willow which meant that he wouldn't really have the quiet time he wanted for himself.

These days, he mostly enjoyed being by himself over having the company of others, something Rokurou and Eizen would've surely made fun of…...or even Velvet for that matter. Laphicet chuckled at those thoughts as he continued strolling about in peace.

But it seems that was not to be as Laphicet stopped in his tracks the moment he heard the rustling of leaves within the hedges of the maze.

At first the malak seemed surprised as his body tensed up on instinct and he readied himself for the worst-case scenario. He hadn't been put into any sort of perilous situation for nearly a year now and he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to cast his malak artes at a place like this.

Nevertheless, he positioned himself in such a way that he would be ready for the worst, should it ever come to pass. Personally, he hoped that it was just another harmless animal moving about and not some home intruder.

The figure slowly revealed itself, first with a small streak of blonde hair slowly emerging before the rest of the head eventually emerged from the bushes.

"Bismarck!?" Laphicet blinked as he slowly let his guard down.

While the butler in training seemed to be relieved to see him, his own nervous expressions betrayed his outward intent, "Master Laphicet? Well…this is a surprise".

"What are you doing here?" Laphicet asked, continuing to give the butler a confused look.

"W-well, I…"

Just as Bismarck was about to explain himself, a distinctive voice could be heard calling out for him by both parties. The blonde immediately looked at the boy with pleading eyes as he shook his head before quickly dunking his head back into the cover of the bushes.

Initially, the young malak was slightly confused at this sudden turn of events, scratching his head as if he was unsure as to what to do. Laphicet eventually managed to put two and two together, realizing what the blonde trainee was asking of him.

"Oh, it's you Laphicet"

Phi turned around to face Whitley coming over to him. He could probably empathize with Bismarck's desire to hide in the bushes, especially if it meant having to avoid his brother's insufferable attitude. Whatever his reasons were, Laphicet could probably make a good assumption that it had something to do with Whitley.

"Never thought I'd meet you in a place like this" the Schnee boy approached with a smile, "though I suppose you're still sulking about all by yourself about because of Weiss".

Laphicet groaned at that statement; Whitley really had a way of getting under his skin, or others for that matter. "It's got nothing with Wiess. I just like the quiet, that's all" the malak gave a blunt reply, standing his ground.

"I suppose" Whitley shrugged off, "but then again, you and dear sister both have such an unrefined temperament".

"We've got nothing in common!" Laphicet retorted sternly but reigned in his irritation just enough to not seem angry, feeling that that would give Whitley exactly what he wanted.

Whitley simply chuckled in response, something that only internally frustrated Laphicet more, who grumbled under his breath. "Whatever you say" the white-haired boy brushed off Phi's reply as he continued, "by the way, have you seen this new butler of ours. I have been meaning to assign some tasks for him but he simply disappeared without a trace".

"You mean Bismarck? No…I haven't seen him" Laphicet answered decisively putting himself between Whitley and the hedges where Bismarck hid.

"Really? What a disappointment. That man is a buffoon when compared to Klein, but he'll have to do for the time being. If you see him, tell him to come find me" Whitley placed his hands on his hips as he let out a sigh, before eventually turning around and walking away.

"Fine" Laphicet grouched as he rolled his eyes. He waited for a few more minutes until Whitley was completely out of sight before turning around and facing the hedge. "You can come out now, Bismarck" he called out.

As if on cue, Bismarck emerged awkwardly from the hedge, a few bits of leaves still stuck to his suit but no worse for wear. Dusting the leaves off of his clothes, the blonde man exhaled a sigh of relief before standing. During all of this, Laphicet meticulously observed the man from head to toe as a strange feeling came over him, telling him that something was different about this person compared to all of the other staff that worked here. It was true that from this first impression, the young man seemed like a bit of goofball, especially in comparison to all of the other servants who were uptight and professional, but that wasn't what set him apart for Laphicet.

"So, why were you hiding there in there?" the malak asked despite his hunch telling him that he probably knew the answer to that. Still, some confirmation never hurt.

The young butler rubbed the back of his head while letting out a goofy grin. "W-well, let's just say I got a bit too overwhelmed by the demands of Miss Weiss and Master Whitley, so I needed a quick getaway for some breathing room" he answered. Bismarck took a moment to look at the younger boy's awkward expression before quickly realizing what he had just said, "but that doesn't mean I hate them, please don't get the wrong idea" the young butler tried to clarify.

Laphicet was bit unsure as to what to make of this act. He certainly did prove his suspicions correct as to why he was hiding, and his strange behavior certainly cemented his lack of professionalism; not that Laphicet disliked it, since he was more than happy with someone being casually friendly with him rather than give out the false illusion of sincerity under the guise of professionalism and he came to the conclusion that this may simply be from a lack of experience in his field. Eventually, Phi settled on a smile as he looked up to him, "Don't worry, I understand. And I won't tell any of them".

"Really?!" Bismarck looked like he was ready to jump with joy, before taking a moment to compose himself, letting out a cough before continuing to speak, "what I mean is, thank you Master Laphicet".

The subtle changes in his body language was bothering Laphicet more than he would've liked to admit. The more Bismarck stood in his presence; the more Phi couldn't shake off the feeling that there something completely different about the butler. It could be said that he a certain aura about him that set him apart from everyone else he had met on Remnant; something that eerily made him seem not human but not a faunus either.

"Bismarck? Can I ask you something?" Laphicet asked, believing that it was better to get an answer from the source itself on whether he was correct or simply misguided by his instincts.

"Certainly, ask away" Bismarck answered.

Phi began by rubbing his hands together before he started questioning again, "I don't mean to come off as rude or anything like that but there's something different about you from everyone else around here. It's not just the way you look or the way you act, but rather, just everything about you".

Bismarck seemed to be taking a moment to register that question, as Laphicet looked on in the hopes that he was correct, lest he had suddenly embarrassed himself by asking such a strange question. The butler's entire demeanor seemed to have changed as he exuded a more serious presence to him, "hmmm, I see. So, you have that feeling too" he addressed.

"Wait, I don't understand…" Phi frantically stated. Instead of a definitive answer, what he was getting were hints and cues that were flying all over the place and new questions piling on top of the old ones.

"To be honest Master Laphicet, I too had that strange feeling when I saw you, so it seems you and I are not so different from each other. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that you and I may have more in common with each other than anyone else in all of Remnant" Bismarck addressed.

"More in common?" Laphicet had to repeat that statement and turn it into a question, unsure as to how to properly receive that information. What could he possibly mean by that? Familial? Distant relations? Or could it possibly be that one thing that he thinks it is? "Wait, don't tell me you're a- "

"Malak?"

Phi's eyes widened as he stood still, momentarily shocked and unable to register what he had just heard. That was a word that nobody in this world had spoken about and as far as he knew, he was the only one. Until now, it seems.

"That I'am, ….and it seems you're one too, correct?" Bismarck continued.

Right now, there was a groundswell of mixed emotions filling up inside of Laphicet: happiness, excitement, curiosity and many more. Still, he had managed to hold himself together just enough to give his own definitive answer, "Yeah! I've been here for almost a year now and so far, you're the first other malak I've met".

"I could say the same thing, Master Laphicet" Bismarck stated, a smile of relief forming on his face as well, "though to be fair, I think you and I are maybe the only ones of our kind alive in all of Remnant".

Those words gave Laphicet pause as his excitement died down a little and was replaced by even more questions. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I wasn't born on this place; my birthplace is in another place entirely. While I was travelling, I somehow accidentally ended up here long ago. To my knowledge, in the centuries I've been here on Remnant, there hasn't been any signs of strong earthpulse presence or humans being reborn as one of us nor have there been any traces of malakhim presence other than myself…until now that is" Bismarck answered, before stating a question of his own, "so what about you? What's your story?".

"The truth is, I don't think I'm from this place either. I don't remember much of anything, but the last thing I remember was being in Midgand before I suddenly woke up here" Phi gave out his answer.

"Midgand?" Bismarck stated, holding a hand on his chin, suggesting that even he was intrigued by this notion, "so even you are not born on Remnant either. And if Midgand is your home as well, then that means we share the same place of origin. It seems beings like us are truly not native to this world".

With every statement that Bismarck spoke about, it riled up Laphicets' curiosity and began driving his senses like crazy. From his own deductions, it was clear that Bismarck was telling the truth and that he was a genuine malak, not only because he said so but because he had an aura different from a human or a faunus; it seemed to be a trait exclusive to malakhim to be able to instantly sense another of their own kinds presence. What's more, he spoke of Midgand as if he knew exactly what it was and his account of how he and Phi were outsiders in this place finally confirmed his hypothesis long ago: that this was a different world entirely. For the first time in a very long time, a certain feeling had returned and it was something he never knew he wanted so badly: hope. Hope that there was actually a chance to go back home, to the place where he truly felt like he belonged. Far away from this strange world and most importantly, a chance to see his old friends again, especially Velvet.

Phi had to pinch himself to stop his mind from going over the clouds and get himself back into reality. The first step of confirmation was done, now all that was needed was information on how to get back, and Bismarck was the key to it all.

"So, Bismarck..." Laphicet said, causing the butler to divert his attention away from his own thoughts and back to the younger malak, "you said that you came here a long time ago. So, is there a way to get back home?"

"I'm afraid not" Bismarck answered, seemingly almost hesitant to continue before pushing on, "I have not been able to find a way back since I got here. Like I said, I've essentially been stuck in this place for centuries".

"Oh" that was the only word that seemed to be able to escape Laphicets mouth. His hopes had been dashed in an instant and his disappointment was immeasurable. Worst of all, he personally blamed himself for getting so worked up over the smallest chance that he could return. After all, Bismarck did say that he had been stuck here for a long time, so it was unlikely that a solution could be found immediately.

"I'm sorry for leading you on like that" the older malak apologized, seemingly in an attempt to alleviate the mood and ease the tensions.

"That's okay. It's my fault for getting so worked up over it" Laphicet reciprocated the sentiment, "it's just that I…. well I…. miss the place where I came from".

"Truth is, I feel the same way. I've tried my best to make myself at home here but…it just doesn't feel the same" the older boy admitted, "still, right now I'm just happy to know there's another one like me here. I feel like I'm not alone anymore for the first time in years".

"Yeah, same here" Phi answered back with a smile. Deep down, he had to begrudgingly agree with Bismarck, feeling that it was better to see the glass as half full. And indeed, a lot of good did come out of this, the most important of which was the fact that there was at least someone of his kind around to talk and share experiences with.

"Anyways, I have to go before Master Whitley and Miss Weiss start getting suspicious about my whereabouts. If you want, maybe we can talk later when I'm done for the day" Bismarck said as he started walking past Laphicet and towards the interior of the Manor.

"Sure, let's do that Bismarck" Laphicet agreed to the offer as Bismarck simply waved off holding two fingers in response to the answer.

* * *

For the young malak, several hours passed by without him even noticing it as he became caught up in his thoughts for the remainder of the day, ever since receiving that certain revelation. There was certainly going to be a lot of questions that he would have for Bismarck; many that he felt were important enough to be asked first.

But when the time came for their appointed meeting, what escaped his mouth was not what he had planned. "So, Bismarck, what kind of malak are you?" Phi asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity. The two were currently hanging on a secluded wing of the manor, busily chatting in one of the balconies overlooking the main square.

"Well, that's easy. I'am an earth malak" the older malak replied with a smile.

"_That makes sense, he does look a bit like Eizen" _Laphicet thought as a smile slowly began creeping on his face, especially as he got a better look at his physical features. The blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin combined with his youthful appearance did make him look like a younger version of Eizen. And now knowing that he was also an earth malak, Laphicet felt as though he wouldn't be surprised if he found out that Bismarck somehow knew pirate malak or his sister. But that would be a question for another time.

As for his personality, Phi felt that he hadn't really known much about Bismarck to discern if he was similar to or different from Eizen. Still, so far, he seemed informative, experienced and pleasant enough that he didn't mind it at all. The thought of Bismarck's slight resemblances to Eizen only spurned on more nostalgic memories, especially on the ways in which the pirate practically served as his mentor. Laphicet really missed him and part of him hoped that Bismarck would find a solution to get them both back to their home sooner, rather than later.

"Of course, the humans back home don't really call us that anymore, which I'm sure you already know" Bismarck added.

Laphicet took pause as his eyes widened. This information was new to him, and it made him feel like he either he missed out on what was going on or something else was wrong entirely. He looked a bit hesitant as he asked, "what do you mean?"

"Don't you know? I thought you said you were here for only a year, so I assumed that you'd already be aware of this by now as well" Bismarck scratched his head as he answered the question.

"That's what I wanna know too" Laphicet stated, his tone more serious by the moment, "you said you were here longer than me, so why is it that I don't already know what you know?". This was getting more confusing and messier by the moment, as if some cosmic force was out there seriously messing with both their minds.

Bismarck closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them and exhaling the moment he was sure he could say something that would help clarify for the both of them, "Ok, ok, I think we're getting our minds screwed. Maybe we should explain to each other one at time. I'll go first, so is that okay?".

Laphicet nodded in approval.

"Alright, I'll start with what was currently going on just before I left that place. The Empyrean Maotelus did something to calm the land, cleansing malevolence in humans but also making us invisible to them in the process since he somehow undid the effects of the advent. Over time, humans stopped believing in our existence and started to call us Seraphim or Seraphs in general. When I first got here, I was actually surprised that humans and those that call themselves faunus could see me, so I reckoned that the people here must have stronger spiritual resonance than I thought" the butler explained in detail.

Unfortunately, Laphicet was already staring at him with wide eyes of disbelief the moment he uttered the name Maotelus. That name, the sacred name that could not be so easily shared was spoken to him so casually and in complete ignorance. That name meant a lot of Laphicet, because that wasn't just any random name…

Maotelus was in fact, his true name. One given to him by Eleanor.

"A-are you okay, Master Laphicet?" Bismarck asked with concern on his face after seeing the younger kin look so catatonic, unaware that he had just dropped a bombshell of a revelation.

"How…. did you know that name?" Phi asked, his face still in disbelief over what he had just heard.

"Maotelus? That was the name the Empyrean went by" the older malak nonchalantly replied.

At this moment, Laphicet felt like pulling the hairs out of his head and stomping the ground in a raging tantrum. Instead of getting the answers he thought he wanted, the boy was receiving more questions than answers. There was just way too much input as of right now and he felt like asking Bismarck anymore would just cause him to mentally breakdown.

Suddenly, Laphicet felt a hand tap his shoulder causing him to snap out of his stupor as the older malak looked him with concern.

"Is something bothering you? Was it something I said?" Bismarck asked, gently letting go of his hand.

Laphicet closed his eyes and shook his head, as if to clear his mind before opening them again. "No, it's nothing really. I just need some time to think about all of this" he softly answered as he backed away slowly.

Bismarck watched as the younger malak slowly walked away before stopping and turning around to face him again. "But maybe we can talk more about this tomorrow" Laphicet suggested with smile, though it didn't seem as genuine as it usually did.

"Agreed" Bismarck nodded, "it seems there a lot of unanswered questions that we both need to get off our chest".

"Thank you, Bismarck"

…

That night was probably the most sleepless night he had since he got here. Even snuggling in a comfy bed amidst the harsh winter cold did little to alleviate that. He had not been this surprised since the day Willow decided to adopt him and the day he moved out of the orphanage and into the Schnee household. But this revelation topped all of that and for time being, nothing else could probably surprise him the way Bismarck revealed all of this.

First, it was realizing that Bismarck was a fellow malakhim who's been here for a very long time, then him explaining that he too came from the same place that Phi did. And yet, something about his account of the world and Laphicets own experiences didn't match or add up. He claimed that humans couldn't see their kind and that the events of the advent by Shepherd Artorius was somehow undone, yet Phi's own recollection of it contradicted that. Worse still was the fact, that his memories were hazy and unclear; almost as if they were trying to block out the full picture.

Even worse still, was the fact that the being that undid all of this was none other than Maotelus, that is to say, he himself was apparently responsible for all of it and that he was an Empyrean of all things. Either Bismarck was lying about this or something seriously was wrong with way the world was working.

And just when he thought he couldn't get confused enough, Bismarck's own recollection of the events suggested that everything Laphicet and the others were fighting for had already happened, as if Innominat and Shepherd Artorius were already defeated, despite his own memories having no such recollection. But that was just the icing on the cake, for if Bismarck was here on Remnant for hundreds of years before Phi did, then why did his story feel like he lived in a time after Laphicet? There was a missing link to all of this.

Laphicet tried his hardest to close his eyes and force himself to sleep before those thoughts of his began robbing him of his sanity, for even the revelation that the humans back in his world no longer referred to his kind as Malakhim but Seraphim, almost felt irrelevant in comparison to the grand scale of things. Yet, despite all of this, the boy just couldn't help but dwell on it further. He growled in frustration at what was going on, but he knew that he wouldn't have any answers until the next day.

For better or worse, he would have to deal with all of this and it was going to be a long night.

* * *

**While I normally prefer taking a slow burn with the story, I thought of accelerating the plot a bit since I felt that it was becoming a bit too slow paced .**

**This one was a bit tricky because RWBY dosen't give a clear timeline on when the Four Kingdoms were actually formed. Closest speculation is probably a 1000 years before the main story. I used that as a template for *spoilers* Bismarck's age, whereupon he would have arrived 600 years after the reign of Malik the Sunderer, the first king of Vacuo.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy it :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Laphicet found it difficult to get up in the morning that followed after the eventful day prior, a sign that the sleepless night had taken its toll on him. The constant knock on his door by one of the servants only served to irritate him even more as he begrudgingly got off his bed to begin the rest of the day.

Seeming a bit exhausted, the young malak or seraph, as Bismarck had previously explained what they were now referred to as, soldiered through the entire day as best he could despite lacking the energy or commitment to actually do so. From breakfast to study lessons, Laphicet functioned on instinct alone as he had probably forgotten whatever was happening during those times due to being half asleep. This, of course, did not go unnoticed as his instructor Claudius was quick to remind him what was going on and gave him a stern warning to sleep properly next time.

But that mattered little to Laphicet, as his thoughts became quick and the moments inadequate, the surroundings indecipherable while his sole focus was on one thing and one thing only: Finding a way to leave Remnant and return home.

He blitzes through the rest of the day, from lunch all the way to dinner, not even concerning himself with Whitley or Weiss. There was only one part of the day that he was now willing to divert his full attention to and that time was coming.

…

"Alright, let's summarize everything we've gathered so far" Bismarck addressed as he jotted down points on a piece of paper. "You said that you don't remember much of what happened directly before you found yourself on Remnant but you can clearly recall everything that was happening while you were still in Midgand. Is that correct, Laphicet?"

"Right" Laphicet acknowledged with a nod, "and you said that everything that I recalled had already happened and more. But then you also said that you've been here longer than I have even though technically, I should be the one…...ugh, this is all so confusing!" the young seraph gripped his hair in frustration.

Bismarck placed the pen down and crossed his arms sighing, "Same here. Still, I think there's an explanation for all of this".

Laphicet was all ears as he leaned in closer to the table to listen.

"It's just hypothesis but…...did they teach you anything about time zones", the butler asked.

"A little bit" Phi answered.

"Good, that'll make things easier" Bismarck said with a smile, " my guess is that, much like time zones where one place will be ahead in time while the other lags behind, there is a displacement in time between worlds but on a much grander scale, perhaps even more twisted than we could ever imagine."

While Laphicet was initially surprised by how Bismarck seemed to be able to speak about different worlds so casually, he soon realized that the idea of various worlds co-exist without ever being aware of each other did not seem out of place when the malakhim themselves were said to have descended from a place called the heavenly realm when summoned by humans.

"That does seem plausible" Laphicet admitted, moving away from the table while placing a hand on his chin, "but it still doesn't explain how we got here or how to get out of here?"

"Oh that!?" Bismarck raised his head and let out a smile as he explained, "I almost forgot about that. I can't really speak for you but I got here through two gateways: one from home to another realm and another that leads from that realm to here".

_Another realm? _That statement left Laphicet a bit puzzled though it wasn't enough to leave him permanently confused since after everything he had seen so far and heard, very few things could faze him that much. "Are you talking about the heavenly realm?" with his head tilting towards one side and a look of confusion, he asked.

"Not really, I doubt we're even invited back there yet" Bismarck answered, "It's another place entirely, independent of Remnant and our world."

"So, what's that place like" the younger seraph asked.

Bismarck rested his hands on the table as he began to explain, "It's pretty nice, for the most part. There's no visible danger like daemons or hellions or grimn either but there's no sign of any civilization there either. There are some humans and seraphs living there together, believe it or not."

"So why would you wanna leave that plac- "Phi paused for a moment of retrospection before reiterating his question, "What I mean is, why were you travelling across worlds in the first place?".

Hearing this, Bismarck covered his eyes with his right hand as he rubbed them while taking a deep and letting it out, "looks like I have no choice. Sorry"

_What is he apologizing for? _Laphicet thought, eyeing his brethren with curiosity. As the layers uncovered, it was evident that Bismarck knew more than he was letting on.

"The truth is, I was assigned a special task by a good friend of mine to find someone very important to them…. and this is how I got here" Bismarck explained.

"I see" Laphicet nodded in acknowledgement, though in truth he wasn't completely buying into it. He felt as though the butler wasn't telling him the whole story; after all, who in their right mind would travel between worlds just to look for someone, human or malak. That being said, Phi probably retracted that last statement since he himself was now willing to do exactly just that to see people important to him. "So, have you found that important person?" Laphicet asked.

It was brief, but Laphicet caught Bismarck flinching ever so slight through the corner of his eye when he heard that question. It was definite proof that something was fishy about him, even if he was the only other malak or seraph around. "Unfortunately, no," he answered quickly, which Phi thought was the shortest answer he had given yet.

"I know I'll have to go back empty handed but I'd much rather tell them then the truth rather than die out here" the older seraph tried to give a more definitive answer. Unfortunately, it seems his brief moment of hesitation was proof enough for Laphicet that there more to him than meets the eye. Even his explanations seemed a bit half-hearted. Still, everything he said so far seemed genuine and truthful and being affable in itself was a better alternative than having to deal with his adopted siblings and father.

Laphicet continued staring at Bismarck, who seemed to be stuck in some translucent state before he came to his senses once more and addressed the issue with an uneasy smile, "I'm sorry but I made an oath to keep this a secret. This is all that I can disclose, Laphicet."

"It's okay, I won't bother you with it" Laphicet reassured, much to Bismarck's relief it seems.

"Thank you," Bismarck said with a smile, "I promise I'll tell everything someday."

Judging by his expression and the tone in his voice, when the older seraph thanked him, Phi felt a tone of familiarity emanating from his body language and speech, almost as though they were old colleagues, despite the fact that to his knowledge, they were both complete strangers until yesterday; He was certainly a seraph of many mysteries.

As Phi contemplated, Bismarck had gotten up from his seat with the notes in hand. Moving over to Laphicets side, he handed the note with a smile on his face, "I think it's time I head back before it's too late, you should do the same as well."

"I think I'll stay here a little longer" Laphicet politely declined and shook his head.

"If you say so," Bismarck complied, placing the note in front of his younger kin, "but if that's the case, then you should hold onto it."

Phi's lips curved into a smile as he took the notebook and gently affirmed, "thanks Bismarck, and good night."

Bismarck bowed slightly and answered, "good night to you as well, 'Master Laphicet'".

Laphicet looked a bit confused as he watched the seraph walk away; already finding it strange for someone like him to still address him as master. Maybe he was just playing around, or perhaps it was some sort of an act of fair play and professional courtesy as part of his job, regardless of their race or seniority. And speaking of his job, that was another question that Laphicet wanted to ask but decided to let it slide for the time being. The question pertained to why someone who was potentially older than the entire Schnee family would pick such a job when with the wealth of knowledge that he would've acquired during his century long stay, especially given that he could've taken up an occupation higher position and prestige. Still, it was yet another question for another day, as he lingered on in the balcony table.

As Bismarck made his leave and Laphicet stayed back, both were unaware that a figure was watching them, ever so slightly curious on the whole ordeal.

* * *

Since the day of that fateful revelation, it had become somewhat of a common routine for Laphicet and Bismarck to meet up regularly and chat. They would go over in detail with regards to their current situation, answer each other's questions and sometimes just reminiscence about their old home. Eventually Bismarck came to the conclusion that since no concrete solution was found, it was better for the both that they spend as much time as they could living with the Schnees, something Laphicet initially objected to but eventually conceded for his own reasons.

Of course, that didn't mean that he forgot about attending to Whitley and Weiss either, as neglecting them would mean the end of his budding career. More often than not, Bismarck had to allocate most of his time to being in service of Whitley, Weiss and Laphicet, juggling between the three. And even though his status as a personal punching bag had diminished since the first day, the original Schnee siblings still saw him as a buffoon. Winter was the sole exception to all of this since she never truly dabbled in the family affairs and never even met Bismarck.

At least for Weiss, her stance on Bismarck had softened significantly since the day first she met him even if her opinion on him being a bumbling idiot was still as firm as ever. Wandering around her room was not an act she thought she would be doing especially if her time could be spent on more productive activities, but the truth was that there was something bothering her a lot. She couldn't really explain it and comprehend that feeling, but she noticed that a lot of people were walking on eggshells with her a lot since that argument she had with the kid. Even if she would never admit to it, Weiss was still bothered by the idea of people making assumptions about her, not just from the faunus, the general public and the White Fang but also from her own staff and household members; Not that they had the guts or the authority to tell it to her face….with the sole exception of Laphicet of all people.

The fact that a no name boy was the first one to tell her off, genuinely surprised her. Weiss always thought that he was nothing more than manipulative usurper who was weaseling his way into the hearts of every person she cared about and then attempting to rub it in her face with a nasty prank. In the heat of the moment, she lashed out as much as she could while the boy gave it back tenfold, but as things calmed down and the days went by, a strange feeling had started coming over her; it felt like guilt and regret.

Looking over at the casing that was neatly placed in her study table, Weiss still couldn't figure out why she kept the comb. It was as though her instincts and her conscious mind were at odds with each other. Was it for sentimental reasons? Remorse? She still couldn't understand. Crossing her arms, she closed her eyes, sighed and shook her head.

"Umm, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss turned around, with her arms still crossed and acknowledged the servant who was halfway between the door with a tray in hand. "Yes, Bismarck?"

"You were not present at tonight's dinner" he announced, stepping into the room with the tray in hand before gently placing it on one of the tables in her room, "therefore, I was tasked with bringing you your food."

"I see" the white-haired girl answered in a deadpan tone. There was silence for a while as the butler stood awkwardly.

As Weiss stared at him with a suspicious glance, the butler darted his eyes left and right before suddenly snapping back into attention. "Oh, and ummm….is there anything else that you would require?"

Weiss placed the palm of her right hand on her face and shook her head, "No that will be all". Honestly, these were the moments when she really began to miss Klein again. Compared to Bismarck, he knew exactly what to do and say, how to make her smile and brighten up her day in this dreary, lifeless house.

"O-of course" he announces as he turns around and begins to leave.

"Wait"

Bismarck stopped in place, nervously turning around to face the rather stubborn and brutally honest girl. "Y-yes?"

"Lately, I've been seeing you and that boy, Laphicet spend an awful lot of time chatting late at night on one of the balconies. There I heard talks about running away and returning to your 'home', a place called Midgand, between the two of you" she explained, "just what are you two up to?"

The blond butler stood in shock when he heard that, with widened eyes and a terrified look on his face. But even then, Weiss was unfazed as she continued to glare a hole through him. Eventually, Bismarck conceded to her tenacity and hung his head with a deep sigh; it seems their secret meeting was not as secretive as they thought.

"N-nothing, I-…I mean we would never…...I mean Master Laphicet would never think of that" he answered nervously with a goofy grin.

Weiss, however, was not buying it and remained unfazed. "Then what is it? And where exactly is this Midgand, that you speak of?".

"_Damn, she's cornered me" _worrying thoughts crossed his mind as Bismarck desperately tried to come up with a convincing lie. At first, he thought it would be best just to tell her that they were malaks but reconsidered that though immediately on grounds that if he told her that, she'd probably think that the both of them were insane and find a way to get her father to admit them to an asylum. Thus, he settled on giving her a measure of half truths and covering up the rest. "Well, he and I come from the same place, so we were just talking about how much we miss our home, that's all."

Weiss was still not convinced. "That still does not answer my other question. Where exactly is this Midgand?"

"Ummm…. it's a …. really, really, really, really small island south of this continent" Bismarck answered.

"Oh really?" the white-haired girl narrowed her eyes and looked at him with suspicious contempt.

"Yes…...I would NEVER lie to you, Miss Schnee" the blonde butler proclaimed, placing a hand on his chest.

"Even if your identity card states that you came from somewhere else?" Weiss question.

"Yes" Bismarck answered with a nod. It seems he had gotten the hang of this half-baked explanation and was now ready for whatever questions she would give with contingencies. If she were to ask why he changed his address, he could now convince her that his home was not registered or recognized by the four kingdoms nor is it widely known enough to warrant such an attention and thus, he had to earn his citizenship in Atlas.

Weiss placed a hand on her hips as she began to contemplate his explanation. She continued to be in deep thought for a few more seconds before giving her answer, "very well, so long as you have no desire for ill intent towards me or this household, I will not pry into your business with him".

"Of course, thank you for believing in me, Miss Schnee" Bismarck said, heaving a sigh of relief.

"But I will still be keeping an eye on you. If I find anything suspicious, I will report it to my father" she warned, "you're dismissed."

"Of course, Miss Schnee. Enjoy your dinner" Bismarck replied, respectfully bowing out and leaving her room. "Oh, and Miss Schnee" he stated as he turned around while Weiss paid attention.

"What is it?"

"I believe you will be more than pleased to know that Mr. Klein will be returning tomorrow and will resume his services" he announced with a smile, something that seemed to have taken her with surprise as she let her guard down.

"I see" Weiss seemed almost hesitant as she said those words, but regained her composure quickly enough, "I wish you would've told me that earlier but thank you for letting me know, Bismarck. That will be all".

"_She's quite intuitive, I'll give her that" _he muttered in his mind as he gave another bow and head for the door. He meant that in the best way possible.

Still, Bismarck was quite surprised that she never entertained the thought of getting Laphicet to leave. If the rumors spread by the other servants and his experiences with Laphicets' and Weiss's interactions between each other (which was nonexistent) were to go by, it would seem that these two were supposedly on very bad terms with each other. Laphicet himself seemed to frown and grumble whenever someone mentioned her name, and yet, there was at least moments in certain conversations where he would mention still her. And while Phi's facial expressions may give him the impression of being angry, his eyes betrayed that notion as they seemed to express disappointment rather than hatred. Hundreds and hundreds of years of living and learning amongst various humans and faunus had given him the experience to understand social cues.

Back to the topic at hand, Bismarck was surprised that Weiss never seemed to encourage him to take Laphicet away forever under the excuse of them being homesick being fully aware of the fact that Laphicet was adopted and being told that Weiss apparently resented him and refused to acknowledge him as her own brother. It would seem that was more to this family than what was being said about them.

"Bismarck, wait! I have one more question" Weiss called out as the butler stopped dead in his track between the doors.

"What is it, Miss Schnee?" he asked, looking confused.

"I-it's…. about that boy…...Laphicet" the Schnee heiress paused, almost as if she was hesitant to finish what she was about to say, "how is he? Is he eating enough?"

Now this was getting interesting! Bismarck was almost as shocked as she was when he announced that Klein was returning. He was seriously beginning to doubt how these two supposedly hated each other when one of them seemed to show genuine concern for the other.

"Yes, I believe so. Why do you ask?" he answered with a question of his own.

Weiss seemed almost flustered when Bismarck asked that question, as if he had discovered some sort of intimate secret. "I-it's nothing, he just seemed…...lethargic, that's all. I-I was simply making an observation!" her answer seemed so defensive that Bismarck thought she was just a few red cheeks shy of a full-on blush, "don't tell anyone of this, that is an order!"

"Y-yes Ma'am" the seraph butler snapped into attention and finally left the room.

This was certainly getting more and more intriguing by the minute for Bismarck. While seraphs and humans who could see them did interact, this was probably the first time that one had ever been adopted and raised by humans, who were completely unaware of their adopted son's true nature. _"I'm sorry that I can't tell you everything Laphicet, but it looks like I've finally found the key to getting us out of Remnant"._

* * *

"She knows?!" Laphicet nearly yelled as a look of disbelief came over him.

"Unfortunately, yes. She's onto us, and not only that, she's also going to be keeping a close eye on me in case I do anything suspicious" Bismarck regretfully admitted, though in truth, he had expected this kind of reaction from his younger kin. "This also means that this might be our last secret meeting, otherwise, she might report me to your father and get me sacked."

Laphicet gripped the railing of the balcony as hard as he could, his whole body tensed as his face fumed with anger. "Does Weiss really hate me that much? Why can't she just mind her own business?!" he angrily muttered.

"Actually, she left you out of the conversation" Bismarck slowly walked over to him and leaned towards his right side.

This earned a noticed from Laphicet who looked up to him, puzzled by what he had just heard. "What do mean by that?" he asked.

"I've heard that you and Weiss didn't get along, so I was sure she'd be more than happy to let me take you away, probably even kidnap you from this house. Somehow she never got around to talking about anything like that" he explained.

"Really?" Laphicet narrowed his eyes.

"Well, that's not really the whole truth since she did ask me if you were eating. But for someone who supposedly hates you that much, she sure seemed concerned" Bismarck added.

Laphicet let out a whine as he turned around to face the view from the balcony again. "You're starting to sound just like Klein now" he said in an exhaustive tone, "It's like everyone wants me to forgive her or something."

"Don't you want to?"

"No!" he let out an empathic answer, "I mean, she started it! I was just trying to be nice to her!"

"But I heard that you put a bug in her ro-"

"That's not true!" Laphicet immediately shot that accusation down.

"I- "Bismarck took some time to pause before continuing, "apologies. That was just the rumor I heard."

"It's fine" Phi grumbled, seemingly willing to let it slide just this once. "It didn't matter whether I did it or not, she never liked me even before that anyways. She thought I was stealing Winter and Klein."

The older seraph's eyes widened as though he was beginning to see a clearer picture. "Ah, jealousy and resentment" he exclaimed, "I think I'm starting to understand why it's like this."

"Do you still think I should make it up with her?" Laphicet asked argumentatively.

"Before I answer that, let me ask you a question first; Why were you drawn to her in the first place? Besides just trying to be nice to everyone" Bismarck shot back.

Laphicet initially hesitated, before rolling his eyes and letting out a groan. "When I first saw her, I…just thought she looked lonely and sad, so I wanted to get to know her better. That's all."

Bismarck simply looked at Phi's direction and smiled. "An adorable sentiment but I'm not really buying it. Be honest, there's more to it."

Laphicets' response was to simply turn his back and cross his arms, "hmph, even if I do have my reasons, I'm not telling you".

Bismarck raised his brows but didn't say anything as he simply stood still and kept watch over Laphicet. This awkward silence continued on for a few more minutes as neither budged an inch. Yet the growing discomfort in Phi's face became more and more apparent as the unease of silence started to get to him.

"Fine, that's not the whole truth!" the young seraph confessed, "she also reminded me of Velvet and Eleanor. Especially Velvet! There, I said it!"

Velvet Crowe and Eleanor Hume: the Therion who gave him his name and his will and the Exorcist who served as his vessel. Bismarck had grown accustomed to those names despite having never met them during his time in Midgand on account of how much Laphicet spoke fondly of them. Now that picture was becoming even clearer for him as it was now apparent that Laphicet had chosen Weiss as the person to fill out that void left by this Velvet.

"I see!" he let out a small laugh, "now it's starting to make sense."

Laphicet seemed puzzled by the butler's sudden outburst. Did he find it funny? Was it a joke to him? "What are you laughing at?"

"Ah children" Bismarck calmed down as he continued, "so quick to blame everyone and point out their flaws, but so slow when it comes to finding out their own faults. I guess it doesn't really matter if they're humans, faunus or seraphs"

"What do you mean by that?" Laphicet narrowed his eyes and asked.

Bismarck pushed himself away from the edge of the balcony and shook his head in amusement. "Oh nothing" he replied as he patted Laphicets shoulder before moving away. "It just means that you and Weiss both have something in common".

"W-wait, hold on! You're still not making any sense!"

The older seraph simply smiled and scuffled Laphicets hair. "Don't worry, I think you'll figure this one out soon, you're quite observant after all. Though I really think you should try giving her another chance. After all, just like she doesn't know a lot about you, you don't really know Miss Weiss as much as you think you do"

Laphicet grumbled under his breath again. It was really starting to annoy him, whenever people suggested he forgive Weiss and vice versa. "I'm not interested" he closed his eyes and gave a standoffish shrug, "but even if I wanted to, what makes you think she wants the same?"

Bismarck watched his younger peer's body language, and judging by their history, he knew this was nothing more than wounded pride at work here. "Don't worry about that, she's just as confused about all of this as you are."

Laphicet did not budge from his position, still unconvinced of the reasoning.

"Listen, I won't force you to if you don't want to. And I know everyone's probably said this to you over and over again, but it's not a good idea to keep this up. Trust me, I've lived long enough to know what that feels like. You really don't want to regret your choices like I did."

Phi remained silent, but his expression had softened a bit.

"Well….it looks like this might be our last seraph to seraph meeting for a while…. or… malak to malak if that's what you still prefer. If you feel like reconsidering, just let me know okay? I'll help you in any way I can."

And with that, the older seraph walked away, leaving Laphicet deep in his thoughts. While it was true that he had become tired and irritated by people constantly trying to convince him to let the past go, he was now also giving serious consideration to what Bismarck had just said. Did he and Weiss really have a lot more in common? And what exactly did he mean when he said that Phi really didn't know Weiss as much as he thought he did?

Should he really give another shot at earning Weiss's approval?

* * *

**So RT just released team RWBYs birthdays and it seems Weiss's is actually on may. So much for my headcanon of November. Anyways, apologies for the short chapter, but things have been busy for me. I'll try making longer ones someday again.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Hmmm" Klein hummed as he meticulously looked over sheets of paper with a fine-tooth comb. It had barely been over a week since he came back from his leave and yet, he could already tell from the look in their eyes that Weiss and Whitley had missed him, even if they wouldn't admit to it. Still, there was a reason why he had to take a leave and have a novice, at least by professional standards, replace him. While he had been with the Schnee family for years now and his loyalty to the family was beyond question, Klein was also human and he knew there would come a time where he would have to step down eventually, and for that, he wanted to leave behind someone worthy and qualified to take over the reins: a successor of sorts.

This Bismarck Dorian was supposedly one of the most suitable candidates to learn under him and from the glowing recommendation given to him by the Atlesian Academy of Hospitality, Klein had high expectations for him based on the fact that his grades in the written examinations were off the charts. Sadly, it seems expectations and reality didn't always mix well together.

Looking over the marksheets signed and provided each member of the Schnee family told a different story that contradicted the image of an academic ace. It was the written rule in the world of service and hospitality that for any aspiring butler to earn their first star ranking, they had to undertake a week-long service for a particular client without any sort of outside help or guidance in order to both test their mettle as well as their skills and their ability to handle the pressure. The reviews and gradings of Schnee family members told a strange story.

Whitley gave the worst with an overall E for Bismarck with Weiss following second with D. Klein wasn't surprised that these remarks would be very, very biased since filling in his shoes was something not everyone was eager to get into. What did surprise him was the fact that Weiss actually ranked him slightly higher than the last one several years ago, who received a humiliating F on all fronts. Klein moved his gaze from the heaps of paper to eye in on the trainee standing still with a cool demeanor; though he knew better from experience that that was simply a front and that he was probably sweating bullets on the inside.

Bismarck did fare slightly better with older Schnees as Jacques gave him a C while Willow marked out a B for him. Though, it simply could be due to the fact that Jacques was far too busy to actually care and did it on a whim while anyone who indulged in Willow's alcoholism would instantly be on her good side. Klein sighed and shook his head, putting the papers away as he held out the last piece.

Finally, it came down to the baby of the bunch, Laphicet. Being an adopted child, and thus, an outsider who wasn't completely familiar with the ins and outs of the Schnee family meant that Laphicets perspective would be unique and different from the other two children. Klein always knew him to be a warm and kind hearted boy with brighter disposition than his siblings, and so it came as no surprise when he gave Bismarck an A in the gradings.

"Oh, Master Laphicet" Klein chuckled as he finally put the last piece of paper down. He chalked up Laphicets grading of him being done either out of the goodness of his heart or pity. It was a trait that Klein liked the most about him, and it was also something he had hoped the boy would be able to pass along to the rest of the family, albeit to no avail. However, Klein also felt that the same kindness also made Laphicet overly emotional and unable to deal with negative discourse. But then again, he was just ten years old, so the senior butler had to cut him some slack.

The only member who was left out of this grading was Winter, since she was justifiable absent for most of the family affairs as she had matters relating to military work to deal with.

Klein was unsure as to how to actually go along with this: on the one hand, these grades reflected poorly on the trainee and by all rights, he had mostly failed. On the other, most of these rankings were probably based less on his actual service and more on a purely subjective stance since he had the misfortune of having to temporarily replace him. Tapping his finger into the table, Klein thought it over on how to actually proceed with the process. Eventually, he decided that he would test the young butler in his own way to see if he would be worthy of being employed as his protégé.

"So, Bismarck" Klein called to the junior butler, who instantly turned to face him.

Standing as still as a pillar, Bismarck looked over to his professional senior with the pose and stance required of someone in service. "Y-yes Mr. Klein?" he nervously asked.

"What do you think of your chances in earning your first star as a butler? Do you believe you have performed adequately?" Klein asked in a lower, more serious tone which was in stark contrast to his usually upbeat demeanor.

After taking a few seconds to think things through, Bismarck gave his answer, "Well…. I certainly hope so, and I know I have performed to the best of my abilities."

"I see" the senior butler began as he started playing with his mustache, "and what if your performance does not meet the required expectations? You are not serving any ordinary family after all."

"Then I will head back to the academy and start from scratch" the blonde answered, shifting his position just a little to ease any stiffness, "or maybe just move on from this and serve somewhere else."

Klein shifted back from his seat a little bit when he heard that answer, since it was one that caught him off guard. Previous trainees would go on length about how they would be devasted or that they would stubbornly try again despite the fact that second chances were quite rare.

Bismarck noticed the look of surprise on Klein's face, realizing that he had said something that must have surprised him. "Did I say something wrong, sir?" he asked, almost as if he was feigning nervousness as well.

"No" the Schnee butler answered, "not at all. In fact, while it is true that determination has great benefits, it can also be turned into obsession and lead to one's downfall. It is good that you have set realistic expectations for yourself and that you are patient enough to deal with any hurdle."

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Klein" Bismarck complemented the senior butler with a small respectful bow with his head.

"Don't thank me yet" Klein replied as he shifted his eyes towards papers on the table. "Now, before I tell you the results, I want to ask you some questions. You can be as straightforward and blunt as you possibly can. Do not wince any words."

"Yes, sir" Bismarck answered.

"Good" Klein nodded with a smile. "Now then, tell me; What do you think of Weiss, Whitley and Laphicet? You can take your time and give me your honest opinion."

Bismarck went quiet for a few minutes as he placed a hand on his chin and become enveloped in his thoughts. Eventually, he straightened himself as he rested his hands behind his back and looked towards Klein, who gave him a nodding approval. "Let's see…." he murmured to himself before continuing with the rest of his answers, "Whitley is difficult to please and seems to have a low opinion on everyone around him, but he can be affable, refined and articulate. Weiss is much more straightforward than her brothers and does not mince words. She can be quite harsh and demanding but she does seem to tolerate others so long as she's pleased. Laphicet is the opposite of his siblings in that he's kind, cheerful and well, much more easier to approach but he's too reliant on his emotions and cannot seem to handle negativity well."

"Interesting" Klein noted, with a slight smile forming on his face, "and what do think of their behavior towards each other?".

Bismarck stopped himself just as he was about to speak, letting out a small cough before he began speaking again, "Well, while Master Whitley does seem standoffish and priggish towards his siblings in equal measure, he behaves passive aggressively with Weiss while being acting a bit more impish when it comes to Laphicet."

"I see" Klein leaned on the table with his hands clasped together, listening with interest.

"However, despite all of this, he does seem to relish in the attention he gets from his siblings, especially Laphicet. Though I guess, he might just be glad that he is no longer the youngest in the family and that the idea of a younger sibling looking up to him and depending on him pleases him, even if he has a poor way of communicating that" Bismarck continued.

A chuckled escaped Klein's mouth as Bismarck finished his description of Whitley. This was probably humor only Klein had the privy of knowing due to Whitley's own description of Bismarck, calling him an "incompetent buffoon".

"Please continue" he added to a confused Bismarck.

"Of course," Bismarck said, "Miss Weiss seems indifferent when it comes to her brothers, although she does acknowledge and talk with Whitley from time to time, even bickering with him on the rare occasions. Sadly, the same cannot be said about her and Master Laphicet since neither of them ever seemed to speak to each other. I've heard that they got into a very heated argument some time ago, so that could be the reason why".

"Unfortunately, that is true" Klein acknowledged his reasoning, "so tell me, for what reason do you think they argued?"

"Well" Bismarck shifted his eyes from Klein and stared at the ceiling, "since the knowledge of Master Laphicet being adopted is an open secret, I have a feeling it pertains to Miss Weiss letting off a tint of resentment towards what she perceives to be the amount of attention he's receiving."

"_Very Observational" _Klein thought as he straightened himself on his seat. So far, this Bismarck seems to have paid a lot of attention to the people he was serving, what type of personalities they had and how they interacted with each other. Not only that, it seems he had been doing a lot of independent investigations of his own into the matters regarding the children, despite not being his business which would probably take quite a lot of dedication to pull off. That being said, it felt like his would be protégé was not telling him the entire story, almost as if he was holding onto more information until Klein gave him something back in return. He could tell, that despite his aloof demeanor, the young blonde was smarter than he let on. It was subtle, but it nearly impressed Klein.

Sadly, everything that Bismarck had answered was also nearly accurate, especially with regards to the Weiss and Laphicet situation. So far, he wanted an update on the situation and now seemed like the best time for that opportunity.

"So, tell me, what is their situation now? Weiss and Laphicets I mean" Klein asked with a somber tone.

"They are both still not on speaking terms yet and neither of them even so much as look at each other" Bismarck answered.

"I see" Klein said, the disappointment could be read all over his face. Months had passed and not a single progress had been made towards making amends. He had dealt with children who argued before but none of them showed the level of stubbornness and vindictiveness that either of these two had. Perhaps it was the Schnee pride at work here and Klein was a bit worried that even Laphicet might have caught onto it as well. "Thank you for answering my questions Bismarck" Klein's face switched up with a smile.

"Of course, Sir" Bismarck quickly bowed.

"Now, as for your results; I'am sorry to inform you but your gradings from the Schnees are simply not enough to earn you your first star ranking" the senior butler bluntly stated, causing Bismarck to freeze in place with wide eyes and an open jaw.

"I…. I see" Bismarck gagged for a bit before he recovered enough to talk back with a nervous smile while he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hold on, I said you couldn't have your first star" Klein interrupted," I never said anything about you failing to become a full fledge apprentice of mine."

"Really!? Whew!" the blonde butler let out a deep breath, relieved to know that he had passed the test.

"That is, of course, if you want to take this offer. Otherwise, you can simply look elsewhere for service or start from scratch again" Klein teased with a sly smile curving on his face. This was one of the few instances of him showing his more casual side to fellow employees outside of breaks.

"Not all sir, I'd gladly take up your offer" Bismarck enthusiastically replied.

"Good" Klein nodded with approval, "then we can begin your training tomorrow morning. For now, you are dismissed."

* * *

Strong winter winds slammed against the walls of the manor as its inhabitants huddled cozily inside of its warm interior. It would seem that this was a last-ditch effort by the winter season to remind everyone that while it was nearing the end of its term as it surrendered dominion over to spring, it was still a force to be reckoned with and that it would come back at the end of next year.

Speaking of the end of the year, it was apparently going to be the new year for Remnant soon. Laphicet was actually looking forward to the new year event, as the late-night countdown and firework celebrations were one of the most exciting festivities he had experienced in the orphanage.

But as of this moment, his mind was not on the new year festival that was coming in the days ahead. He already had high expectations, being that the Schnees would most likely have the most extravagant celebrations for it. Instead, for the time being, he was content with simply sitting next to the fireplace with his study chair and tinkering with his scroll. For a minute, he would be browsing through the ridiculously high number of SDC videos that his father had him involved in, while in the next, he would looking through the hundreds of pictures that he had taken, ranging from simple garden sceneries to certain people like Klein standing next to him. He even managed to get a few with his adopted mother somehow and much to his chagrin, even Whitley found a way to butt in. Even so, they still managed to crack a smile from him.

Yet, this was not enough to distract Laphicet and he soon found himself back to boredom. Even browsing through the net wasn't enough as he just wasn't in the mood for it. He thought being adopted by a rich family would mean access to more exciting things, but honestly, the reality seemed further from that idea. Of course, the difference in comfort was higher, but life felt somewhat cold and miserable.

Gently placing the scroll on his lap, Phi looked up to the ceiling and sighed. He really had been giving some thoughts as to what Bismarck had told him regarding Weiss for some time now. Was he really at fault here as well? But how could he know, he wasn't there when everything went down; for the longest time Phi had been nothing but cordial and nice to her while she was as cold and standoffish as ever. How could this be a two-sided problem when Weiss was clearly the one with animosity?

If that was the case however, Laphicet would've just ignored his statement and moved on. But he couldn't move on. He wanted answers! The heavy and violent whirling sound of the snowstorm descended upon his room even if it was at the innermost part of the manor. It was as if they were manifestations of all of the emotions he was feeling right now.

Bismarck was as cryptic as ever so he was of little help in solving this puzzle. Yet when Laphicet continued to stare at the dizzying ceiling, he couldn't help but think that there some point in his riddle that was correct.

"He laughed when I told him that Weiss reminded me of Velvet" he mumbled as he continued to stare at the ceiling. "Velvet" he slowly diverted his gaze from the top and back to the burning flames of the hearth as he muttered that name once more. It belonged to a…...special person: one who not only gave him his name but changed his life forever, for it was her who helped turn him from an emotionless tool to his own person. Sure, she could be ruthless and abrasive, even threatening to eat him at times and yet for all of her faults, she was her own person and there was no one like her.

And that bugged him the most because while she was unique in every way and he himself eventually became his own person; the name she gave him did not truly belong to him. It belonged to her brother, the first Laphicet, and in her eyes, probably the only true Laphicet. The way Velvet spoke fondly about him made him envy the real Laphicet even more. It always felt like he was playing second fiddle to him even if he had never met him or seen him before and no matter what he did, Phi always felt like he would be stuck in his shadow. No matter how many times he would lash out or how many times Velvet would tell him otherwise, the young seraph always felt like he was never HER Laphicet, but merely a replacement to fill in that void.

"Replacement?" as he said those words, it snapped him of his thoughts as if a revelation had just struck him.

"_After all, just like she doesn't know a lot about you, you don't really know Miss Weiss as much as you think you do" _

Recalling that conversation, it would seem that this self-reflection had indeed helped him uncover the riddle. "Am I, doing something wrong too?" he questioned himself, staring at his own hands. Was this truly what Bismarck meant when he said that Phi really didn't know Weiss as he thought he did.

_Replacement _

That word now carried a greater deal of weight than when it was originally conceived in his thoughts. "Was I trying to replace Velvet with Weiss?" Phi asked himself for clarification, even though everything was becoming clearer by the second. If there was anyone who knew what it felt like to play second fiddle to anyone, it was Laphicet. After all, he always felt like he was second best to Laphi when it came to Velvet's affection. And now, it would seem he was doing the same thing with Weiss even if he was unaware of it, treating her the same way Velvet did to him even if there was no malice put behind the thought or action.

Curling his fists into a ball, Laphicet held onto them tightly as he gritted his teeth. A strange feeling had come over him; a feeling he had not experienced yet and had no idea that he even had them. It made his heart heavy and his mind burned out, though he wasn't exactly sure what it was; was it regret? Guilt? Or perhaps self-loathing? Regardless of its true nature, it made him feel terrible.

"Bismarck was right, I really didn't know her" he angrily grumbled to himself. He had almost done the same thing that he had become resentful of Velvet doing to him; he had practically ignored who Weiss was as a person, just so he could project this idea of Weiss as the person who reminded him of Velvet; a replacement.

Now he truly understood what Bismarck meant that they were both in the wrong and why Klein was so insistent on the both of them making amends.

But was it too late for such things?

His mind may be contemplating it, but his body it seems had other plans. As if of their own accord, Laphicet got up from his chair on instinct and headed for the door. After all those months of Klein telling him how it was a bad idea to remain in this of indifference, it had finally dawned on him on the true gravity of the situation had he continued on this path. He was getting scared: scared of the kind of person he was becoming.

* * *

"What should I tell her?" Laphicet mumbled as he walked with a steady pace. His destination was non other than the room that he had dreaded passing by for a month now. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks as he caught something in the front. There were three figures standing in front of Weiss's room: one was the girl herself, while the other consisted of Klein and Bismarck, who stood from a reasonable distance and seemed to be keeping watch.

Instinctively, Laphicet quickly and quietly dashed over to one of the pillars to his right side as he hid himself. After taking a moment to compose himself, Phi slowly but surely peeked out of the edge of the pillar to see what was going on and eavesdrop on the conversation if possible. As he did so, his eyes met with those of Bismarck's, who simply crossed his finger across his lips, signifying that he was going to zip his mouth shut and not compromise Phi. The younger seraph smiled and nodded as he began watching the other two from a distance.

Laphicet couldn't hear what they were talking about properly, but from their body language, it must have been something lighthearted or humorous, since they were no other explanations for as to why Weiss was uncharacteristically smiling and laughing while Klein was goofing around with one of his personalities. His jaw dropped at the sight of her giggling and laughing at whatever Klein was doing, though, he himself couldn't argue that Klein did have that effect on him as well.

In his eyes, Weiss almost seemed like a completely different person. She looked so happy and content that it unnerved him and pique his curiosity at the same time, possibly due to the fact that he was more accustomed to the icy cold demeanor that she usually showed him. Was this a rare instance of her showing her kinder side as an exception for Klein? Or was this her true self?

In any case, whatever her reasons were, the one thing he did agree on was the fact that she looked several times more approachable and perhaps, even cuter too, enough to bring a smile in Laphicets own face. Maybe, it was the fact that she rarely if ever, smiled and seeing one of hers made it that much more worth it. It probably spoke volumes of how much of a valued person Klein had to be that he could bring this side of her.

Just as he was getting far too comfortable spying, the conversation had abruptly ended as the two figures said their goodbyes. It was also the cue for Laphicet to immediately go back into hiding as he quickly fell back into the pillar. Sadly, he would not have time to catch his breath as heavy footsteps began thumping their way towards him, causing him to freeze up. He really didn't think this through and now that Klein was on his way, he wasn't exactly sure of how to respond if he ever got caught. Phi was internally groaning at the thought of being stuck in an embarrassing situation again.

However, much to his surprise and relief, the footsteps stopped abruptly. As luck would have it, Bismarck had apparently convinced Klein to head in the other direction for some reason or the other. As the footsteps changed direction, their sounds grew fainter and fainter, convincing Laphicet to cautiously peek through the pillars again. Just as he predicted, the two butlers had their backs turned and were walking away towards the other side of the manor.

After a few minutes, the two of them had disappeared completely, signifying that the coast was clear for Laphicet. Slowly emerging out of his hiding, Phi nervously made his way towards the door. It almost felt like his sense of touch had been sent into overdrive as even the slightest gust of wind sent a chill that ran down his spine while his heart started pounding like crazy. It took every ounce of willpower to force his shaking hand to reach the door and another ounce of strength to actually knock. It was now or never and he had hoped three knocks would be enough.

It took a minute or two but the door eventually opened as a figured emerged from the room's interior. Laphicet was frozen again at the sight of Weiss appearing again, curious as to how she would react towards him after Phi had just seen a different side of her yet cautious all the same, on account of their interactions these last few months, with all of them ending badly. He was surprised to see her with her hair down while wearing nothing but a blue nightgown. Even before she spoke, vestiges of her fierce exterior, especially in her eyes, had already been imprinted into Phi's mind and right now, so he couldn't help but see that again. Conversely, that long hair of hers reached beyond her waist, almost like…

Phi quickly shook his head as he tried to dispel those thoughts.

"Klein?" Weiss paused immediately.

It would seem she too was genuinely surprised upon seeing the person who was actually knocking on her door. She immediately took a step back as the words became incapable of escaping her mouth, almost choking in the process.

"Y-you!?" Weiss asked with twitching eyes, though the boy remained silent. Perhaps he needed some time to gather his thoughts. Whatever his reasons were, it seemed that he had come at the worst possible time. Fresh off of a hearty conversation with Klein, Weiss had been in a good mood for a while and was just about getting ready to sleep contently. But then, out of the blue, the kid she had been arguing with shows up at her doorstep, completely throwing her off guard.

"_Well…...this is awkward" _she thought to herself as she slowly made her way towards him. Internally, she was kicking and screaming at everything around her, a conflict of mood and personalities clashing as she found herself unable to decide whether to humor him and listen to what he had to say or just brush him off and shut the door. Her feelings regarding him were just as conflicted: she didn't know whether to loathe him for all of the love and affection he took away from her or pity him for being unable to comprehend her situation. Yet every time Weiss looked at him, she felt a heaviness within her heart that she never felt before. Was it guilt? Regret?

Regardless of what it really was, the ivory haired girl let out a deep breathe before placing a hand on her hips as she gave a stern look towards Laphicet. _"If it means lifting that heavy feeling off of me, maybe I should at least hear him out" _she convinced herself.

"What is it" she asked once again, with a firm voice that was only an octave short of aggressive.

"i…..I…..Uhhhh…..uhhh" Laphicet choked, his cheeks reddened as if he had fever all of a sudden.

Weiss could see that the boy was frozen; because of what, she had no idea. But it was certain that the words could not escape his mouth. Her expression softened a little and it changed from stern to one of slight confusion as she gently bent down closer to his face. "Are…. you alright?" she asked, with an almost passive look on her face.

Unbeknownst to her, Weiss was actually making it worse for him by getting closer as Phi no longer began to see Weiss through his eyes.

"Your face is red. Have you caught a fever or something?" Weiss asked once again.

Yet slowly but surely, the more she asked, the more she began to morph in his eyes. Through this strange hallucination, her snow-white hair slowly began turning into shining raven black, messy and unkempt, almost touching the floor before ending in a braid. The strands shifted towards her left side with a shoulder length braid plaited by white bandages. Her piercing blue eyes began morphing into a fiery golden one as her did her brows and eyelashes. Her blue nightgown had changed into a plain earthly yellow and her voice became…. deeper?

"_Phi? What's wrong"_ she asked. Her fearsome eyes were contradicted by her softer expressions. But it was enough to get his attention.

"Velvet?" Laphicet slowly asked as he continue to stare at her.

"_Of course, it's me"_ she answered standoffishly, "_So, tell me, is something bothering you?"_

At this point, Laphicet no longer knew what was real and what was an illusion. All he knew was she was here, right now talking to him. Gripping his hands tightly, a year worth of her absence and several months of depressing life in the Schnees had built up a copious amount of pent up emotions buried within him. And now, she was here, standing right next to him.

"Velvet…I…." tears began flowing from his eyes.

"_What is it?"_

"I'M SORRY VELVET! I JUST MISS YOU SO MUCH!" Laphicet closed his eyes and answered at the top of his lungs.

Letting out all those pent-up emotions seemed to have done the trick as it immediately snapped him back to reality, and with eyes wide open, the full gravity of what he had just said and in front of whom. Almost looking shocked and in contemplation of what he had just said, a terrified Laphicet slowly looked up to see if he had been brought back to reality.

And unfortunately for the young seraph, there was no longer a vision of Velvet standing before him but rather, the person who he had just called Velvet. At any moment, he expected a tight slap to the face and this time, he felt that he deserved it for not only embarrassing her but for making a complete fool of himself as well.

Yet, it never came to be.

The Schnee heiress instead had a petrified look on her face and seemed to be taken aback by what he had just said. "Velvet?" she asked, genuinely confused beyond her comprehension but strangely composed nonetheless. Weiss could see tears flowing from his eyes that left her puzzled yet concerned as to what could've been done to him to warrant such an act. _"Did something happen to him? Who is this Velvet?" _questions began forming in her mind as to what stories were behind this to justify the sudden and strange behavior. It almost felt like a confession or an apology of sorts, but not directed towards her. It seemed like the boy had problems of his own.

Yet before, she could get an answer from him, the boy immediately tuned tail and ran, hiding his face while doing to. As he disappeared from sight, Weiss herself couldn't help but feel a little bit saddened by this sight. She didn't like him much but that didn't mean she enjoyed his misery, and behind his cheerful demeanor, it seems he was hiding a lot of grief and sadness. Just like…. her. Weiss really didn't know who 'Velvet' was, but it seemed that person meant a lot to him.

* * *

He screwed up. Badly.

And he knew it.

Since that night, Laphicet had mostly shut himself off completely within his room from the rest of the outside world. Whenever someone would to check up on him or to remind him that he had lessons, Phi would lie that he wasn't feeling well. At the same time, he would refuse to see a doctor as well, even at the insistence of Klein who had to give up after several attempts. Fortunately for Laphicet, Klein and Bismarck did their best to cover for him, providing him food through the door and acting as a sort of middlemen between the seraph and everyone else, alleviating the worries of Willow, who had shown a surprising amount of concern not seen in a while.

This act went on for several more days before Laphicet eventually came out of his shell at the behest of Klein who told him that an attendance to the New Year's Ball the next day was both mandatory and a great way for him to forget about all of the problems he was facing. By the time he begrudgingly came out of the room, Klein was a little uneasy at what he was seeing. It wasn't that he looked sickly or malnourished, but it was clear to Klein that his radiant smile had been replaced with dull eyes of unhappiness.

"How are you, Master Laphicet?" he gently asked.

"I'm fine" Laphicet gloomily answered.

Klein knew that he gave a rhetorical question and that his young charge would give an obvious answer that contradicted his true feelings. He had a good guess as to what it was all about and decided that it wasn't his place to pry into the matter any further. "Hmmm, you're looking way too gloomy and doomy to be fine" he said as he leaned in closer with a grouchy face and red eyes.

Laphicet simply gave him blank look as if he was unsure as to how he should respond.

"Well, you should be excited for the New Year's party. It'll make you forget everything" the butler's grinned widely as his eyes turned pink while he clasped his hands together and swayed his hips like a pendulum.

While he did not say a word, Laphicets facial expressions painted a picture of uncertainty and confusion, though not in any negative manner either.

"But…. then again, it'll be too much of a bother to celebrate" Klein continued as he suddenly hunched his back as if to show exhaustion and his tone became dour while his eyes turned mint green.

"_Oh Klein" _Phi let out a sigh before smiling. It wasn't that the act was funny but rather the intention behind was enough to alleviate the mood slightly. While the act itself wouldn't be enough to solve the problems he was facing, it was the thought and the effort put into it that counted.

"Thank you, Klein…. for trying" Laphicet acknowledged with a smile.

The butler stood upright and smiled back as his eye color reverted back to its default state of light brown. "You're more than welcome, my little prince" he said, "come, your mother has been calling for you".

"Mother?" the young seraph asked, tilting his head.

…

"I heard that you were unwell" Willow said, gently placing the palm of her right hand onto Laphicets forehead. "How are you feeling now?" she asked.

Laphicet felt a little uneasy standing before her. Things just didn't feel the same after that incident where he found her intoxicated, and it would seem that she felt the same about it as well since she no longer spent as much time with him as she did before that little event. This was a problem that Laphicet had been facing with nearly every Schnee, even Winter to an extent: they just never truly expressed how they really felt and thus, he couldn't really figure out what their intentions were. With his adopted mother, Willow, Laphicet couldn't figure out if she genuinely cared for him like a son or if she just wanted someone to fill in the void for her other children. Her mixed messages didn't exactly help either.

"I…. I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me" Laphicet answered, diverting his gaze away from her in the process. There was just an air of discomfort around her and in her private garden, it felt even more awkward.

"I see" Willow said, slowly letting go of the hand from his forehead. She seemed as dour and gloomy as ever, a trait that Laphicet now seemed to have shared.

Returning his gaze towards her, Laphicet felt a little bit guilty over his blunt and aloof answer. For all her flaws, she was probably only mother he knew; a privilege very few of his kind would ever get. Even if she was distant and seemed to be an island to herself at times, Phi still appreciated every thing she had done for him, whether it was out of kindness or selfishness. "But thanks for being worried about me" he admitted as he tried his best to form a smile, no matter how fake it was. That being said, he was genuinely glad that they were both still talking and that she was still concerned for him. Maybe there at least was one rift that could actually be fixed.

Willow seemed a little surprised by what he had just said but slowly smiled back as she place a hand on his cheek. "It's alright" she reassured him while continuing to smile, "just let me know if there is anything that's bothering you."

"I will" Laphicet answered with a nod. As Willow freed her hand from his cheek, Phi began to slowly get up from the chair he was sitting on and turn around to leave her.

"Laphicet, wait" she called out, causing Laphicet to stop and turn around.

"What is it, …...mother?" he asked, though it felt a bit strange to address her as that after a long while. Still, Phi felt that he had to at least try to make it work.

Willow turned her head away from him, opting to stare at her garden instead. "Tomorrow is the New Year's event" she began, almost seemingly hesitant to speak on the matter before eventually turning her head to face Laphicet once again, "and we haven't spent as much time as I'd like to as mother and son. So, I was wondering if we could watch the New Year fireworks together, just the two of us. Will that be alright?"

It took a few moments for Laphicet to take in the everything that she had just said. To be honest, he was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by this offer. At the very least it would definitely help him forget about that very, very, VERY embarrassing night, albeit only temporarily. "Yeah, I'd like that" he answered with a big smile and a quick nod.

"I'm glad to hear it" Willow smiled back with a nod of her own.

* * *

After leaving the garden, Laphicet decided to do bit of walking around on his own. He was still a bit uncomfortable with so many of the staff around, especially after the incident where he made a scene of himself, even though no one except him and Weiss were around; which really didn't alleviate matters considering that someone must have been within earshot when it happened and the fact that he confessed so loudly only made it likely.

Now he was just hoping that nobody took notice of him and gave him any strange looks. Laphicet could already imagine a crowd of people surrounding him and laughing at his expense. With the New Year's party on the horizon, he was just praying that it kept them too busy to actually notice.

Of course, his biggest concern of all was accidentally meeting Weiss. After his botched attempt at trying to make amends with her, the white-haired girl was the last person he ever wanted to encounter right now. He didn't know whether to be terrified or cringe in embarrassment and die of a heart attack. Having those thoughts in his head just made him grumble more and continue on his way.

After a few more minutes of walking, Laphicet eventually found himself in the dining hall as a very familiar face was working there: Bismarck was busy scrubbing the utensils with a cleaning cloth while humming along to some strange tune that he had never heard of.

"I take it, that it didn't go so well?" the older seraph asked a question the answers to which he probably already knew as Laphicet approached him.

"I messed up" Laphicet whined, holding out his hands in strange gesture, "it was really bad."

"I could tell" Bismarck nonchalantly answered, all the while busily wiping the utensils and plates clean, "you were crying aloud, weren't you? I heard it as well".

"I really thought about what you said Bismarck, and it turns out that you had a point. So, I wanted to make things right with her" Laphicet explained, though for some reason, his tone was becoming more desperate by the moment, "but when I saw her, all I could see was Velvet! I couldn't' help it!"

The older seraph finished cleaning the last plate as he gently placed it back into the cabinet before letting out a sigh and looking at Laphicet with a smile. "Guess this Velvet meant a lot more to you than I thought. Seems like it can't be helped."

"I don't know if anything can be fixed anymore" the younger seraph grumbled as he angrily gripped his hair tightly in frustration, "I'm such an idiot!"

"Now, now, I'm sure it's not the end of the world" the blonde butler tried to reassure his younger kin, "fate does have a way with beings like us."

…

As the two continued chatting, another figure was quickly making advances towards them, almost hastily it seems.

"Master Laphicet!" Klein called out, getting the attention of the other two.

Laphicet saw Klein frantically running over to him, looking uncharacteristically worried. This definitely set off alarms in his head, since he had never seen the calm and jovial Klein act this way. "Klein?" he asked, looking puzzled yet concerned at the same time.

"Pardon the intrusion but you must see this!" the butler pleaded as he whipped out his scroll and began tinkering with it, pressing all sorts of buttons. He eventually handed it over to Laphicet, with the intention of showing to him what all this fuss was about.

Taking the scroll from Klein's hand, Laphicet checked in to see what this was all about. Even Bismarck joined in and glanced while still maintaining distance. Eventually, it turned out to be a video feed of a city block in wreckage as a few small buildings and shops were in ruins while a limousine was crashed beyond recognition. Laphicets hand began to tremble at the sight of what was going on there. The worst part was that this was a very familiar part of the city since this was the route that would be taken whenever they took him outside.

"_-Sources say that aside from the damaged buildings, no more than two dozen lives have been lost in this attack while several others have been injured" words_ could not describe what he was feeling right now; who could ever do such a thing? However, the worst was yet to come. _"-as military, police and rescue workers continue to tirelessly aid in the rescue of the remaining survivors, Weiss Schnee, the daughter of the Schnee Dust Company's CEO Jacques Schnee, is stated to have gone missing from the area. Authorities speculate that this was a premeditated attack by the faunus terrorist group know as the White Fang, in a kidnapping attempt to gain leverage over the SDC whose feud with the White Fang has been well documented. Just over a month, certain members of the board- "_

Laphicet shut down the scroll and handed it back to Klein again; he just couldn't bear to hear it anymore. "This is…" he gulped, looking over to Klein, who did not utter a single word but simply shook his head with a sad look on his face.

"Oh no. Weiss…."

* * *

**Finally got past the mental block to do a longer chapter and I'm trying my best to move the forward. I did read the suggestion from a guest comment to add in the White Fang, but I just wanted to let them know that I had been planning that for a long time. Still, your suggestions is very much appreciated. **

**The next chapters might take a bit longer since it's going to involve action scenes soon and I need to find a way to implement the powers of the Malaks/Seraphs in a balanced way without having them end the plot in seconds. For Bismarck, I can definitely take inspirations from Eizen and Edna since he can be scaled to them. Phi's gonna be a bit trickier since he's the wielder of the silver flame and he's REALLY powerful as a spirit mage. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.**

**Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think :)**


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